Lockdown If Cases Keep Rising For 8-15 Days,\" States Maharashtra CM

Uddhav Thackeray warns of another round of lockdown in the state; learn more…

Monday, 22nd February 2021

CM of Maharashtra, Mr. Uddhav Thackeray said this Sunday that the status of covid-19 cases in the state is becoming "serious". He also warned that the chances of re-imposing lockdown in the coming weeks are pretty high. He added that nearly "8 to 15 days" may be required to ascertain if the recent upsurge in the daily covid case figures is a new wave of covid infections or not. Furthermore, the CM asked the people to abide by the coronavirus protocols in order to avoid another round of lockdown.

"Do we need a lockdown? If you behave responsibly, we will know in the next eight days. Those who don't want a lockdown will wear a mask. Those who want a lockdown, will not wear one. So wear a mask and say 'No' to the lockdown," stated CM Uddhav Thackeray.

"Whether this is a second wave or not, we will understand this in the coming 8 to 15 days," added Mr. Thackeray.

Post the three months-long lull, the state of Maharashtra, which comes with the highest number of covid cases in the whole of the country, recorded more than 6,000 per-day covid cases last Friday. On this Sunday, the state of Maharashtra recorded about 6,971 cases with the death toll being at 35. Mumbai, the capital of the state, logged nearly 921 covid infections.

"The coronavirus figures are rising...the state was reporting around 2,000-2,500 daily cases; now, it is reporting nearly 7,000...active cases have jumped from 40,000 to 53,000...last year, the numbers that we had been getting during the Covid peak, are almost equal to what we are getting now...just think what the figures would be when we hit the peak again," the CM said.

"If the numbers keep rising till the next 8 to 15 days, lockdown will have to be announced," he said further.

Mr. Thackeray also said that he has ordered the local administrations to impose restrictions in the state’s worst-hit districts.

"In Amravati, Akola, and many places, we have asked the officers to give a day and then announce restrictions and lockdown, wherever such steps are needed," he stated.

He also said that he has asked the administration of the state to ban all types of gatherings that call for the need of huge crowds to collect at a place. So, no religious, social, or political gatherings will be allowed in the state at this point in time.

"I have ordered that after tomorrow's event, where I have asked only those needed to attend, political, religious and social events will be banned for some days...you promote your party, not coronavirus," he stated.

The government of the state of Maharashtra this Sunday said that from Monday onwards lockdown will be re-imposed in the Amravati district of the state and it is likely to continue for a week.

240 new covid virus strains, according to Dr. Shashank Joshi (a member of the Covid Task Force of Maharashtra) have come up across the country, which is probably the cause triggering the fresh infection surge that was witnessed in the state since the previous week.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source:

NDTV