Coronavirus-induced restrictions will be lifted from Friday in 18 out of 36 Maharashtra districts where the positivity rate and oxygen bed occupancy have dipped considerably, the state government said.

The state, which remains worst-hit by Covid-19, has decided to implement a five-level unlock process as cases have started to come down.

Disaster ManagementMinister Vijay Wadettiwar made the announcement after a meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority here on Thursday.

The lockdown-like restrictions, imposed in April this year when the second wave of the pandemic intensified, would be lifted in 18 districts where the positivity rate is 5 percent or less and the occupancy of oxygen beds in hospitals is less than 25 percent, he said. These districts have been categorised as Level-1 districts.

These 18 districts are Aurangabad, Bhandara, Buldhana, Chandrapur, Dhule, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Jalgaon, Jalna, Latur, Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Yavatmal, Washim, Wardha, Parbhani and Thane.

All restrictions would be lifted in these districts, he said.

Restrictions in Mumbai would be relaxed partially, but the travel by local trains, the state capital's lifeline, would not be open to the general public as of now, the minister said. Mumbai has been categorised as a Level-2 district.

The government on Sunday had allowed essential shops to remain open in Mumbai and in districts that had less than 10 per cent Covid positivity rate and where occupancy of oxygen beds was less than 40 per cent, as per a report by ndtv.com.

Maharashtra on Wednesday recorded 15,169 new Covid-19 cases, taking the tally to 57,76,184, and 285 fresh deaths and also added 268 previously unreported fatalities, the state health department said.