Maharashtra Prime Minister Uddhav Thackeray is likely to raise the issue of the Center’s lack of support to combat the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak during the virtual meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.
The prime minister will hold a virtual meeting with the CMs and health ministers from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Punjab, the seven states with the highest case load, and will discuss their preparedness and response. .
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Maharashtra accounts for 22.34% of the country’s total Covid-19 cases and 37.56% of deaths. The state has recorded 1,242,770 cases and 33,407 deaths since the outbreak was first reported in March.
State officials said help from the Union government is needed as Maharashtra remains the epicenter of the viral outbreak in the country. Officials said the CM is expected to raise the issue of the Center’s lack of support. “As of September 1, the Center stopped providing PPE and test kits, N-95 masks, ventilators, etc. The CM will address the issue and seek an extension of support from the central government, ”said an official.
The Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Rajesh Tope, also has the help of the Center: “We will need the support of the Center in these matters. It will be discussed at the meeting. ”
Officials said the Center’s lack of assistance has added to the financial burden on the state. “The Center still has to pay the compensation for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to the state. On top of that, it has stopped providing assistance to combat the outbreak. How can the state function when the Covid-19 pandemic has no end? “asked an official, requesting anonymity.
Maharashtra reported 18,390 new cases on Tuesday, while the count increased to 1,242,770.
The state passed 6,000,000 tests after 105,026 swab samples were analyzed in the past 24 hours. Mumbai reported 1,628 new cases to bring its tally to 187,904. It also reported 50 deaths, as the number rose to 8,555.
At present, Maharashtra has 272,410 active cases. On Tuesday, the state reported 392 new deaths related to Covid-19, and the number rose to 33,407.
Tuesday was the fifth day in a row that Maharashtra’s recoveries exceeded the number of new cases. On Tuesday, the state reported 20,206 recoveries and the count increased to 936,554. The state’s recovery rate has also improved to 75.36%.
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