The Maharashtra government on Monday urged people to refrain from venturing out of their homes to usher in the New Year amid the COVID-19 outbreak and pointed that a night curfew is in force till January 5 in major cities of the state.

Areas falling under municipal corporation limits (major cities) are under curfew between 11 pm and 6 am till January 5 as a precautionary measure taken after a new variant of coronavirus was found in the UK.