Maharashtra added 1,825 fresh Covid infections on Wednesday, the fifth consecutive day when under 2,000 cases were recorded. The government has indicated that further relaxations for train travel could be provided post-Diwali if cases continue to remain low. Currently, only fully vaccinated people are allowed to use the Mumbai suburban train services.
The state government has been easing Covid containment restrictions gradually since mid-August and will now allow theatres and drama auditoriums to operate with 50% occupancy from October 22. On Tuesday, it extended operational hours for shops and restaurants in the state.
“Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is monitoring the Covid situation minutely and has been speaking to the state Covid task force and senior officials. I think, post-Diwali, if there are not many cases or a high positivity rate, the chief minister can think about this [allowing all commuters on trains] positively,” health minister Rajesh Tope said to a TV news channel.
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The government considered allowing commuters who had taken at least one shot of a Covid vaccine to use the suburban trains network. However, the move was deferred till cases drop further, state officials said. There was also a fear that crowding could increase in trains during Diwali.