Mumbai's iconic Oval Maidan to be closed from 26 February due to COVID-19 spike

Mumbai: In the wake of the resurgence of COVID-19 cases, the Mumbai civic body has decided to shut the iconic Oval Maidan from Friday, officials said. No sports or other activities will be allowed at the recreational ground in south Mumbai till further orders, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials said. “We have decided to shut the ground till further order as a preventive measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus,” assistant municipal commissioner of the BMC’s A-ward, Chanda Jadhav, said on Thursday. Located in the Churchgate area in Mumbai, the Oval Maidan, where cricket and football matches are frequently played, witnesses crowds of sports enthusiasts during weekends. A number of walkers and joggers also visit the ground every day. Following a spike in daily COVID-19 cases in Mumbai from the second week of February, the civic body has intensified its drive against citizens moving out without masks and large social gatherings. On Wednesday, Mumbai recorded 1,167 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily spike in about four months. The tally of cases in the country’s financial capital has gone up to 3,21,698, while the death toll has reached 11,453, as per official figures.