Maharashtra could be completely unlocked by November-end: Tope

Every activity across Maharashtra, including schools, gymnasiums and railway services, could be unlocked from the coronavirus-enforced lockdown by the end of November,

Every activity across Maharashtra, including schools, gymnasiums and railway services, could be unlocked from the coronavirus-enforced lockdown by the end of November, health minister Rajesh Tope said on Saturday. He added that rates for the gold standard real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests would be further slashed to ₹800, from the existing rate of ₹1,200 to ₹2,000, within the next eight days.

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Tope said that barring a few activities, everything has been opened up by the government under its Mission Begin Again — a staggered plan to unlock activities—and the remaining restrictions will be lifted in phases by November-end. The state went into lockdown from mid-March.

“We have allowed bars and eateries to operate. Schools are expected to open after Diwali. Railway services are being allowed this month. Religious places and gymnasiums, too, will be allowed to open in a phased manner. Some activities will be allowed by October-end, and the remaining by November-end. I think by November-end, everything will be open,” he said.

Maharashtra government allowed restaurants and bars to open from October 5. Long-distance and intercity train services within state limits have also been allowed earlier this month. There is a rising demand for opening of shrines and gymnasiums. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, earlier this week, clarified that schools will not open till Diwali, falling on November 14, and the decision about their opening will be taken by reviewing the Covid-19 situation in the state. The state administration is wary of a second wave of the infection, as witnessed in many other countries, if activities are opened up abruptly. Thackeray reiterated his concern during the virtual inauguration of a test lab in Washim on Saturday.

The health minister on Saturday during the inauguration function, said the rates of the RT-PCR kits have fallen drastically in the recent past and in the wake of it, the rates of the tests, too, can come down. “We have brought the test rates to ₹1,200 through two revisions over the past few months. The prices of the kits required for the tests have fallen further and the benefit of it should be passed on to the common people without allowing the private laboratories to profit. We will take a decision in the next eight days to bring the rates down to ₹800 per test. The tests in Maharashra are lowest in the country,” he said.

On September 8, the government slashed the rates to ₹1,200 to ₹2,000 from earlier rates ranging between ₹1,900 and ₹2,500. Initially, the test rates were as high as ₹4,500 per test. Those were brought down to ₹2,200 to ₹2,800 in June, ₹1,900 to ₹2,500 in August and ₹1,200 to ₹2,000 in September. The private laboratories are allowed to charge more for the collection of swabs from home. The initial high cost was attributed to shortage of kits owing to reduced manufacturing due to lockdown, restrictions on their transportation and reduced competition among laboratories.

State government recently decided to procure 35 lakh RT-PCR kits along with other material and medicines, spending ₹634 crore. The government has fixed the rate at ₹78.4 per kit required for the test. On that basis, the state government has decided to go for a revision of the test rate.

Maharashtra has around 400 testing labs, including more than 200 from the private sector. The tests done by private labs are more than government laboratories. The further slashing of rates, however, is expected to face a resistance from the private sector. “It has been witnessed that the private sector has been indulging into profiteering, cashing in on the pandemic, be it prices of masks, tests or PPE kits. The RT-PCR kit costs not more than ₹200 and adding other overheads, per test cost does not exceed ₹600, against which they have been allowed to charge up to ₹2,000,” said an official from the health department.

Meanwhile, the Western Railway (WR) is planning to increase its local train services being operated for people working in essential services. Above 100 local train services will be increased in the coming week.

“We are inspecting and looking on introducing new local train services for employees working in essential services.” said Sumit Thakur, chief public relation officer, WR.

Presently, the WR operates 506 train services everyday.