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With 1,026 new cases, Maha closer to 25k
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray directed district officials on Tuesday to prepare an exit plan from the ongoing lockdown as the state inched towards
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray directed district officials on Tuesday to prepare an exit plan from the ongoing lockdown as the state inched towards the 25,000 Covid-19 cases mark. The state reported 1,026 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 24,427.
The state capital Mumbai neared the 15,000 case mark with its tally reaching 14,947 on Tuesday. Senior officials said the state government is in favour of easing restrictions further in less affected or unaffected areas while continuing the lockdown in red zones such as Mumbai, Pune and Nashik, which have reported a large chunk of the cases.
The state has reported 5364 cases in the last four days and seen 190 deaths.
Fifty three new fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 921.
Even as the numbers rise, the state government is planning an exit plan that has to be prepared by May 15. Speaking to district officials, Thackeray emphasised strict lockdown implementation in containment zones and said that it should not spread out of these areas. The chief minister also said that districts with adequate health machinery should start door-to-door screening of people.
“The plan has to come in from all the districts by May 15 based on which the state would prepare its plan and submit it to the Centre. The CM stressed that now the chain should be broken and that there should not be any transmission outside of the containment zones in the state,” a senior bureaucrat said on condition of anonymity.
The decision came on a day the state government allowed home delivery of liquor, but not in Mumbai and Nagpur, where the civic bodies have denied permission for alcohol shops to open. According to excise commissioner Kantilal Umap, the order is to prevent people from crowding outside shops.
“In view of the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, we want people to remain at home and avoid coming in contact with each other. This [order] will prevent people from lining outside the shops,” said Umap.
He also made it clear that home delivery will only be allowed in those areas where the civic body has given permission for shops to be open. “Liquor shops in Mumbai and Nagpur, which are closed, will not be allowed to run home deliveries,” he added.
The Maharashtra government had allowed sale of liquor from May 4 but long queues and no social distancing forced then municipal commissioner Pravin Pardeshi to shut shops in Mumbai within two days
A statement from the chief minister’s office said Thackeray cited the example of Goa that carried out a door-to-door survey for Covid-19. “The size of Goa is like one of our districts. They went door-to-door and screened people for symptoms. If district authorities carry out a primary check-up, not just for coronavirus, but for other diseases as well, people would not only get timely treatment but also get cured,” the statement said.
Thackeray also discussed measures to revive the state economy and said that though economic activities have resumed in the green zone of Maharashtra, authorities should ensure that there are no new cases, said the senior bureaucrat quoted above. “The chief minister has also asked the department concerned to prepare a plan if migrants do not come back in time. Maharashtra will also have to look at creating its new workforce,” the bureaucrat added.
