Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik stressed on Monday that the state “cannot afford another lockdown,” adding that it can be avoided if people follow the rules to control the growing cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
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“We cannot afford another blockade. We have asked the CM to consider other options. Due to the increase in cases, he has directed the administration to prepare for the lockdown, but that does not mean it is inevitable. If people follow the rules, it can be avoided, ”Malik told the ANI news agency.
Hours earlier, Chandrakant Patil, chairman of the state unit of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also opposed a possible shutdown. “The lockdown is not a response to the increasing cases of Covid-19 in Maharashtra. If it is imposed, the state government will not provide any aid packages. You can’t understand how people lived in the last year sitting inside Matoshree, ”Patil said, according to PTI.
Matoshree is the family residence of the Prime Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray.
With daily cases of the coronavirus disease on the rise in the state, CM Thackeray on Sunday called on officials to begin preparing plans for the implementation of another lockdown. Thackeray has repeatedly urged citizens to follow Covid-19 regulations and warned of a shutdown in case the regulations are not followed or violated. A night curfew also went into effect in the state beginning Sunday night.
Read also | Maharashtra Daily Count Drops With 31,643 Fresh Covid-19 Cases
Maharashtra last recorded fewer than 30,000 new coronavirus cases on March 23, when its count increased by 28,699 infections. The western state’s infection count is the highest in India, currently standing at 2,745,518 and its death toll is 54,283. Its number of active cases of 336,584 is also greater than that of any other state or territory in the Union.
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