MUMBAI: Maharashtra Prime Minister Uddhav Thackeray directed the administration to draw up a roadmap for a second shutdown, a move that drew opposition from his own alliance partner, NCP, not to mention angry voices from the BJP that they warned of public protests. A decision is likely to be made on April 2 after a review.
The instructions coincided with the state that reported an all-time high of more than 40,000 cases. A day later, on Monday, the count dropped to 31,643. In Mumbai, the cases totaled more than 12,000 in the past 48 hours.
The “closure” plan does not have enough stakeholders among politicians, who worry about a public backlash. However, experts who follow the progress of the pandemic are in favor of reversing the relaxations in the movement, as well as in trade and commerce.
“Most cabinet members are against the shutdown. In the first shutdown people suffered, a large number lost their jobs and the economy collapsed,” said NCP spokesman and state minister Nawab Malik.
Within Shiv Sena there is no consensus on the issue, but the NCP has expressed its opposition.
At a meeting of public health officials and the state’s Covid-19 task force with Thackeray over the weekend, the CM said a Standard Operating Procedure should be kept in place to guide the state in case another shutdown is necessary. . He said the public is not following the restrictions and rules issued, adding that added health facilities may not be sufficient in the event of a sharp increase.
Thackeray said a SoP should be put in place to ensure essential services, including the provision of food grains, medicines and medical services, are not hampered if a lockdown is imposed. Senior officials said the situation is likely to be reviewed on April 2 and a decision could then be made.
Cases in Maharashtra have increased exponentially in the last fortnight, with 3.9 lakh of people testing positive. Between March 1 and March 28, more than 5.4 lakh of cases were detected, almost as much as in September 2020, the worst month in terms of Covid19 counts. Currently, the weekly positivity rate in Maharashtra is the highest in the country at 22.78%; the state conducts tests of 1.5 lakhs a day.
Explaining the current Covid-19 situation and the facilities available to address it, Pradeep Vyas, chief public health secretary, said that infections are skyrocketing and rapidly passing through the population. Key facilities, especially beds, fans and oxygen supplies, would soon be in short supply. Members of the task force noted that if cases continue to spread, the death toll could also rise and this could be due to delayed hospitalization and testing, as well as non-compliance with rules during home isolation.
“Lockdown is the last resort, but we have to consider it because the healthcare infrastructure is crumbling. There are no beds available in the private sector and beds in the public sector are also filling up fast,” said Dr. Shashank Joshi, member of the working group. part of the Sunday meeting.
However, Sena deputy and party leader Sanjay Raut said he had spoken with Thackeray and suggested that instead of a blockade that would be very damaging to the economy, more restrictions could be imposed. “I am not in favor of a total blockade. The working class, the companies and the economic cycle will be affected. I spoke with the CM and he too is of the same opinion,” said Raut.
The NCP’s Malik said that instead of a second lockdown, every effort should be made to strengthen healthcare infrastructure, increase vaccines, and enforce appropriate Covid behavior. “Surveillance is very poor. As a result, people wander the roads without masks. The responsibility should be placed on the district officials,” he said. The opposition warned of protests if a blockade is imposed. “It will hit the poor hard,” said BJP state chairman Chandrakant Patil. He demanded that the government declare a 5,000 rupee package for the daily bets that will be affected by the shutdown.
Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte said the vaccination rate was satisfactory, although the Center suggested speeding it up in areas where the incidence of infection was high. Efforts are being made to do so, he said.
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