MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday allowed home delivery of liquor in Mumbai, except in containment zones even as the city recorded its highest ever one-day increase in the number of coronavirus patients at 1,751, which took the city's tally of cases to 27,068.
Earlier, the highest one-day surge was recorded on May 17 when 1,571 new patients were found in the city.
Further, with 27 new deaths, the toll due to the pandemic in the country's financial capital reached 909 on Friday, the BMC said with 7,080 recoveries.
Liquor home delivery has still been given a green signal despite surging cases, however, over-the-counter sale of liquor will not be allowed yet, BMC said.
"E-commerce platforms may be utilised by the liquor shops permitted to do home delivery," said the BMC order.
After lockdown began, liquor sale was completely banned in the city, which is worst affected by the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
The civic body said that it has decided to allow home delivery of liquor in the city in view of the extension of lockdown and revised guidelines on the measures to be taken for containment of coronavirus.
Liquor shops can deliver sealed bottles of tipple to customers at home address, the order issued by Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Chahal said.
The order comes five days after the Maharashtra government allowed home delivery of liquor in red zones.
"All the concerned are directed to comply with above orders in toto failing which action under relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897; Disaster Management Act, 2005 and section 188 of Indian Penal Code (not complying with government order) will be initiated against the defaulters," it read.
On May 5, the BMC had ordered that liquor shops be closed again as there was crowding after shops reopened and social distancing norms were ignored completely.