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Maharashtra steps up restrictions as cases continue to surge
On Sunday, Maharashtra recorded 57,074 – by far the highest number for a single day yet – while the state’s capital became the first Indian city to add new infections in the five digits with over 11,206 new infections.
The state of Maharashtra returned to near-lockdown levels of curbs on Sunday with authorities imposing a night and weekend curfew, ordering non-essentials businesses shut, and requiring most offices to switch to remote working as the relentless surge in Covid-19 continued, reinforcing fears that the state could soon see a shortage of hospital beds, doctors and medical oxygen supply.
On Sunday, Maharashtra recorded 57,074 – by far the highest number for a single day yet – while the state’s capital became the first Indian city to add new infections in the five digits with over 11,206 new infections. The new infections in the state account for 54% of the cases recorded countrywide, with Maharashtra’s count being close to ten times of the state with the next highest number.
According to the government’s “break the chain” order, there will be a complete lockdown on weekends and for 11 hours – from 8pm to 7am – on the other days. People will only be allowed outside for essential services such as to buy groceries or to go to a hospital.
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At no point can more than five people gather outdoors, and places of worship, malls, theatres, swimming pools and gyms will be closed. Restaurants and eateries will be allowed to serve only take-out food, the order added.
The decisions were taken after chief minister Uddhav Thackeray convened an urgent meeting of council of ministers on Sunday to deliberate on the stricter curbs in the state. The partial lockdown was allowed after the cabinet meeting and the detailed SOP was issued later in the day.
Before the cabinet meeting, Thackeray spoke with leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, held meetings with key industrialists and producers of TV serials and films.
Thackeray, in his address to the people of Maharashtra on Friday, hinted at the stricter curbs by weekend. On Saturday, he said if the choice had to be made between saving lives or saving jobs, it would have to be lives.
The surge in cases has resulted in shortage of the beds and oxygen in several cities and districts, forcing the state government to shut industrial units grazing oxygen in large quantities.
Now, private offices have been instructed to switch to remote working while government offices are allowed to work at 50% strength. Private offices in essential services, including banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals and those involved in water or power supply, have been allowed to operate as usual.
“We are not touching the industrial sector as it directly linked with the financial health of the state. The industrial units, construction sites are allowed to operate, while the shooting of films and TV serials can go on by adhering to the Covid-19 protocol,” Nawab Malik, minority affairs minister, said after the cabinet meeting.
The government has not reduced the timings of commuting in the local trains for the general public in Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The state expects the crowding to reduce as private offices, shops, establishments in non essential services are not allowed to operate.
Similarly e-commerce sector has been allowed to operate with home delivery allowed between 7am and 8pm. The vaccination of the delivery boys has been made mandatory though the notification is silent how they will be vaccinated if they are below 45 years of age.
Housing societies with more than 5 active patients will now be declared as mini containment zones, with no outsiders allowed to visit the premises, the statement issued by publicity department has stated.
Leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis supported the decisions. “We are going through a very scary stage of second wave of Covid-19 pandemic. The transmission of the virus is faster and proving fatal leading to rise in the mortality rate. We have appealed BJP workers and leaders to cooperate with the state authorities and actively participate in the vaccination drive. But at the same time, the state government should undertake awareness drive to apprise people with the fatality of the new strain,” he said.
State health minister Rajesh Tope said that besides stepping up of the health care infrastructure, the state government is aiming at ramping up the vaccination drive. “After vaccinating 462,000 citizens on Saturday we are now aiming to increase the daily number to more than 6 lakh people per day by increasing vaccination centers and operating them 24X7. Our entire focus will be breaking the chain of transmission. Similarly, districts administrations have also been directed to increase the number of beds. To overcome the shortage of oxygen supply which we have been facing even after reserving 90% of the production for medical purposes, we have decided to shut down the industrial unit gazing oxygen in large quantity,” he said.
