State to ask Centre to reduce 9-month gap for booster dose

Though the state government may not make masks mandatory till a substantial rise in cases, the cabinet will discuss the situation in its meeting on Thursday

Mumbai Due to the steady rise in Covid cases over the last couple of weeks, the state government is planning to ask the union government to make vaccination mandatory and reduce the nine-month gap for the booster jab.

Thackeray said that to prevent a fourth wave, people must use masks in public places and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour (Praful Gangurde)

Meanwhile, in an indication that mandatory masking may soon make a comeback, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray also urged people to voluntarily mask up and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.

Though the state government may not make masks mandatory till a substantial rise in cases, the cabinet will discuss the situation in its meeting on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Thackeray held a meeting with senior officials and district collectors to review the situation. Earlier in the day, he also participated in a virtual meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief ministers of various states on the issue.

Thackeray said that to prevent a fourth wave, people must use masks in public places and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. He added that the state would write to the union government to make vaccination mandatory and also reduce the nine-month window for the fully vaccinated to take their precautionary dose. The state government is also considering if those in the 18 to 59 cohort can be given booster doses in government facilities.

In Maharashtra, 73 per cent of those above the age of 15 have been vaccinated for Covid, while it is 51 per cent and 35 per cent for those between 12 and 14 and those eligible for the booster dose. But the state lags behind the national average of 84 per cent, 58 per cent and 41.63 per cent.

Officials present at the meeting said that the issue of mask mandate was likely to be discussed by the state cabinet on Thursday. “However, the chances of masks being made mandatory are bleak, unless there is a drastic increase in positivity numbers. Until then, there is no imminent threat,” he explained.

On Wednesday, the state reported 186 Covid cases, although no mortalities were reported. Mumbai accounted for the highest number at 112 followed by Pune city (20), Pimpri Chinchwad (nine) and Navi Mumbai (eight). The number of tests conducted also rose to 27,360 on Wednesday.

From April 20 to 26, the highest rise in the caseload has been reported from Thane (49.23 per cent), followed by Mumbai (40.77 per cent) and Raigad (33.33 per cent). The growth for the state has been 44.63 per cent—from 717 between April 13 and April 19 to 1,037 between April 20 and April 26.

The number of active patients in Maharashtra has also grown by 50.64 per cent between April 16 to 26. However, 96.02 per cent of active patients are asymptomatic and just 10 patients are in the ICU, of which four require ventilator support.

“Maharashtra is in the safe zone, there is no cause for panic,” said health minister Rajesh Tope, while urging people to mask up in public. The number of per million active cases was just 7 as against a higher 635 in Mizoram, 243 Delhi and 83 Kerala.

Tope said that they would increase the daily testing from the present average of 25,000, and track close and distant contracts in clusters. Though the Omicron variant was responsible for the surge in numbers, genomic sequencing of positive patients will be conducted. Maharashtra will look at boosting its vaccination numbers and will launch vaccination for the six to 12 age group once the protocols are set.

The state was lower than the country average in vaccination for the 12 to 15 and 15 to 17 years age cohorts of school-going children and the numbers will get a boost after getting in touch with school managements.