Mumbai, May 10 (PTI) As many as 84 per cent of the people surveyed in Maharashtra want curfew to continue in the state, while most people also suggest home deliveries of all goods to minimise business disruption and for consumer convenience, according to a survey by online platform LocalCricles.

The western Indian state has lockdown-like restrictions in place since mid-April following a steep rise in the coronavirus infection cases in the second wave of the pandemic along with some other states. The current restrictions are scheduled to end on May 14, if not extended further.

The state government has also allowed all essential buying of food items for only four hours daily during the lockdown-like restrictions to contain and mitigate the spread. Though the number of active cases in Mumbai in the past three weeks has shown a progressive dip, the state is still marking near 60,000 daily cases, according to data.

The residents of Maharashtra in the past three weeks have been expressing their views and opinion via LocalCircles in various online city communities and the state-level online communities, suggesting that consumer convenience and business resumption must also be given due priority going forward, the platform said.

Since the lockdown-like restriction in the state allowed only stores and deliveries of essentials to operate, the consumer is unable to procure anything beyond groceries and medicines.

Small businesses who serve the majority of the consumer demand have been raising the issue of having been shut down completely for over four weeks now and the urgent need for business continuity, it said.

Based on this feedback, LocalCircles conducted a comprehensive survey to understand the pulse of the residents of the state about the best approach for containment and restarting economic activity. The survey received more than 18,000 responses from citizens residing across 30 districts of the state, said the platform.

It also sought to know what kind of services they think should be permitted during lockdown or curfew and what are the products and services they need in the next three months.

Given the current daily COVID-19 case load in the state, the survey asked citizens about the best approach for containment and restarting the economic activity as well.

"In response, 41 per cent said continue with existing lockdown/restriction till May 31, while 43 per cent said: Permit all stores/ business to open for home deliveries only and continue lockdown till May 31," the platform added.

"Breaking down the poll, 14 per cent said: End lockdown/ restrictions on May 15 and permit full reopening of all stores/business, while 2 per cent could not say.

"The findings of the survey indicate that the highest percentage of Maharashtra residents is in favour of continuing restrictions, while permitting stores to open for home deliveries," LocalCircles said.

In response to the question about the kind of services they think that should be permitted during lockdown or curfew, "40 per cent said home delivery of items like grocery and medicines, and 31 per cent said home delivery of all goods".

"Breaking down the poll, 28 per cent said physical retail stores opened in shifts to provide for in-person shopping, while just 1 per cent couldn't say," it said.

The findings of the survey indicate that 71 per cent of the residents believe that home delivery of goods should be the primary model that should be used during lockdown or curfew in the city, LocalCircles said.

After experiencing lockdowns till September 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19, the unlocking after that and again the imposition of lockdown-like restrictions in April 2021 amid the second wave, many of the state residents have adopted the home delivery model.

Be it calling or sending a WhatsApp to the neighbourhood grocery store, or organised retail or placing an order via an online website, residents have gotten used to placing their order and taking contactless or minimum contact deliveries, according to the platform.

Also, books, stationery and equipment for online classes are the top categories in children-related products that 60 per cent Maharashtra households will need in the next three month, according to the survey.

Work from home equipment is the top category in which households in the state have a need to purchase in the next three month, it added. HRS hrs

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)