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Wearing masks mandatory for next six months, says Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray
The CM said he is not in favour of imposing fresh lockdowns or night curfews as the Covid-19 situation in the state is under control.
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said wearing masks will be mandatory for the next six months in the state. As he was addressing an array of issues including Covid-19, metro car shed project, the chief minister said experts are in favour of imposing night curfew or lockdown. But he is not in favour of these restrictions as the Covid-19 situation in the state is under control, though not completely, he said.
On Saturday, Maharashtra reported 3,940 new Covid-19 cases, second in the country, though in mortality it topped the chart reporting 74 deaths, followed by West Bengal, Delhi and Kerala.
The Covid-19 situation in the state improved remarkably in the past few months. In November, the government issued a circular asking authorities not to be complacent by the improvement and not lower the guards on testing as a second wave of the pandemic in the state is likely to come in January-February. However, according to experts, a second surge like that of in the UK and other countries in Europe is now unlikely in India.
“Prevention is better than cure. Wearing of mask at public places should be made a habit for another six months at least,” Thackeray said, reminding people of Covid-19 appropriate behaviour.
Addressing other issues that the one-year-old Maha Vikas Aghadi government is dealing at present, Thackeray said, “On November 28, the state government has completed one year. Many were hoping that it would fall, but the government not only completed its first year but also faced the most difficult situation, the state may have faced in the last 100 years.”
