BENGALURU (REUTERS) - India's westerly state of Maharashtra on Friday (March 20) decided to close all shops and offices except those providing essential services in India's financial capital Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur until March 31 in an attempt to restrict the spread of coronavirus, the chief minister of the state said.

The state, which has recorded the highest number of confirmed cases in India, has excluded banks and shops that are selling essential commodities from the restriction, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said.