Maharashtra Covid-19 cases: Uddhav Thackeray addressed the people of the state on Friday via TV (Archive)
Bombay:
Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who on Friday said he could not rule out a second lockdown to combat the surge in coronavirus cases in the state, will lead a cabinet meeting today to discuss the situation.
The meeting, which will be held via video conference to maintain social distancing, is expected to shed light on the additional rules and measures that will be applied to control the spread of the virus.
Maharashtra reported nearly 50,000 new cases on Saturday, about 60 percent of all cases reported nationwide that day. On Friday, the state reported about 48,000 cases.
The state capital, Mumbai, reported more than 9,000 cases on Saturday, the most in one day since the pandemic began in December last year. On Friday, the city reported more than 8,800 new cases.
Pune, one of the largest cities in the state, has also reported alarming numbers; on Friday the district administration ordered a 12-hour night curfew and the closure of shopping centers, religious places, hotels and bars for a week, as well as public buses.
According to the center, eight of the 10 worst affected districts in India are from Maharashtra.
The state’s medical infrastructure, hit after previous waves of infections, is under more pressure.
On Saturday, the Chief Minister warned that rising daily demand for oxygen cylinders would soon force him to divert those intended for industrial use as well. Last week, the Mumbai civic body warned of a shortage of beds as it prepared for a potential 10,000 new cases per day.
On Friday, Thackeray, who had previously avoided imposing a total lockdown, also warned of a “Catch-22 situation,” one in which such a drastic step could not be ruled out, even at a potential catastrophic cost to the economy if the increase in cases continued.
“I can’t rule out imposing a lockdown if the current Covid situation prevails. People have become complacent. We are in a Catch-22 situation, should we look at the economy or health?” he said.
“If this condition continues, I already told you that in 15 days we will exhaust our infrastructure. So today I am giving you a warning of a blockade. I am not announcing a blockade yet. But I do not find a solution in two days after speaking with more people, then I have no choice, “he said.
The continued increase in cases has led to Maharashtra being identified as a state of “grave concern” by the center, which has dispatched teams of medical experts to the state.
Parallel to Thackeray’s meeting with his cabinet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding a meeting with senior government officials in New Delhi, with the situation in Maharashtra on the agenda.
The center has already called on states to crack down on appropriate Covid protocols, including wearing face masks and maintaining social distance. The increasing laxity in implementing these measures, the center believes, is the reason why some states are seeing an increase in cases
However, some scientists have pointed to the proliferation of mutant strains, such as those from the UK, Brazil or South Africa, as well as the “double mutant” strain found in Maharashtra in December last year, as a possible reason.
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