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Mumbai: 10 days to lift the national blockade imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus, speculation abounds about the possibility of an extension of the blockade in some areas of the country that are under ‘Red Zones and have seen an increase in cases in last week.
Maharashtra is the most affected state, accounting for almost a third of all COVID-19 cases in the country and the count of more than 17,000 cases as of May 8, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Mumbai and Pune are the most affected areas with cases from both cities approaching 15,000. In light of this, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray called an all-party meeting with state leaders on Thursday and continued one-day meetings with senior government officials in the state to assess the growing numbers in these cases.
A senior official in the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office, when asked by ANI about the possibility of a prolonged blockade, said this could not be ruled out. “We cannot rule out the possibility of a prolonged blockade at this stage, but it is too early to comment on, as there are still 10 days to overcome the current blockade,” said the official.
High-ranking leaders who crossed the party lines were present at the all-party meeting, including BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, among others.
At the meeting, Uddhav Thackeray said Maharashtra had managed to control the spread of the virus due to the current blockade, but now efforts have been made to remain vigilant until the end of May.
This statement, taken in conjunction with the Prime Minister of Maharashtra’s interactions with high-ranking bureaucrats on May 4, which set a goal to make the state a green zone in late May, seems to suggest that some areas of hotspots in Maharashtra, particularly Mumbai and Pune, could see an extension of the blockade.
This story has been published from a cable agency source without modification to the text. Only the owner has been changed.
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