Maharashtra still unsure over extent of relief from Covid-19 curbs

Days after the Maharashtra government hinted at relaxations from the coronavirus-enforced curbs, starting today, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government’s back-and-forth over a decision has led to confusion for citizens

Days after the state government hinted at relaxations from the coronavirus-enforced curbs, starting today, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government’s back-and-forth over a decision has led to confusion for citizens. The state did not issue a notification on the relaxations till the time of going to press. Although the state is firm on not opening up suburban trains for all any time soon, it has not been able to make up its mind on other relaxations amid reports of a rise in Covid-19 cases in Kerala and few other countries, said officials.

Although the state is firm on not opening up suburban trains for all any time soon, it has not been able to make up its mind on other relaxations amid reports of a rise in Covid-19 cases in Kerala and few other countries, said officials (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope had on Thursday said the state government was positive about extending the operating times for shops and establishments beyond 4pm and allowing theatres and multiplexes to function at 50% capacity. He had said that relaxations will be given in 25 districts that have low positivity rate.

The minister had also said, after a meeting convened by Thackeray, that the decision about opening up of trains will be taken after discussions with railway officials.

“The draft of the notification has been cleared by the relief and rehabilitation on Thursday and is expected to be cleared by the CM, after it is cleared by the health department. The government has not been able to arrive at a final call amid reports of a rise in the cases in Kerala and possibility of the beginning of a third wave. The CM is not very keen on opening up too many activities at one go and is also wary about allowing restaurants to function for longer durations,” said an official from Mantralaya. The official, however, said that local trains would not be opened for the public at least for a few weeks until the daily caseload in Mumbai comes to 200-250. “Task force is completely against the opening up of trains as they feel that the second wave was the result of the opening up of local trains for general public,” he said.

Thackeray said citizens cannot lower their guard as transmission of the virus in neighbouring countries is on the rise amid the emergence of new variants.

“The new variants are posing newer challenges before authorities across the globe. We have not been completely out of the second wave. People fully vaccinated are getting infected. I have been getting requests to give exemptions from the lockdown curbs to the people fully vaccinated. But it has now come to the fore through studies that even the fully vaccinated people can transmit the virus to other, though they themselves may not be severely hit by the virus. Nobody likes to be under curbs and restrictions cannot be imposed adamantly. But the complacency after the reduction in cases led us to dire consequences in the second wave,” he said, during a book release on Saturday.

Currently, shops and establishments, including hotels, are allowed to operate till 4pm during weekdays. Shops operating in essential goods are allowed to operate even on weekends till 4pm. The theatres and malls are completely shut for last three months. There is lot of pressure from the political parties and various fronts for the relaxations in the curbs for the people who are fully vaccinated.

The state government had rolled out few relaxations in the districts and cities with low positivity rate and occupancy of oxygen beds in first week of June by grading the districts from Level 1 to 5. The decision was later rolled back from June 28 by removing first two levels, which had more relaxations. Maharashtra on Saturday recorded 6,959 Covid-19 new infections, taking its July tally to 239,863 cases. This is a 24% decline from the Covid-19 cases in June.