Maharashtra Cabinet seeks extension of lockdown-like curbs till 30 May

The Maharahstra Cabinet met on Wednesday to review the Covid-19 situation in the state. The Cabinet proposed to extend the lockdown till 30 May.

After the Cabinet meeting, Minister for Public Health Rajesh Tope said that amid increasing Covid-19 cases in many districts, Cabinet ministers in the meeting were in favour of extending the lockdown-like restrictions for further two weeks in the state, from 16 May to 30 May. The current lockdown-like restrictions will end on Saturday. Tope added that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will take a final decision and orders may be issued accordingly, in the next two-three days.

“All the vaccines procured by the Maharashtra government for the 18-44 age group will be diverted for the 45 plus category. Also, all the doses we will get from the Centre, too, will be for people due for their second dose.”

The Maharashtra Cabinet has decided to suspend vaccination for the 18-44 age group across the state for the time being, Tope said.

Maharashtra reported 46,781 new Covid-19 cases, 58,805 discharges and 816 deaths in the last 24 hours. The active cases were 5,46,129, whereas the total number of cases was 52,26,710. Mumbai reported 2,116 new positive cases and 66 deaths in the last 24 hours, while 4,293 patients were discharged today in Mumbai. Pune reported the 9,536 and 74 deaths. The positivity rate has fallen to 17.36%, while the fatality rate is down to 1.49%, the health department said. There would be strict lockdown of eight days in Kolhapur district from Saturday midnight. The decision was taken in the meeting led by guardian minister Satej Patil and attended by public representatives and district authorities. Detailed guidelines will be issued by district collector Daulat Desai on Thursday.

Maharashtra, which has reported the highest number of coronavirus cases in the country, has now started to witness a decline in its daily Covid-19 cases. The Union Health Ministry on Tuesday urged the country to replicate the Pune and Mumbai models to contain and manage the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Mumbai, the initiatives taken by the Maharashtra state government and the municipal corporation have aided the hospitalisation process and eliminated panic among citizens, Lav Agarwal, joint secretary, MoHFW said.

According to Maharashtra minister Satej Patil, the state government made maximum use of technology to provide relief to people during the Covid-19 pandemic.