Relief likely for Maharashtra districts with low Covid-19 cases

A man undergoes a rapid antigen test at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Kurla, on Monday. Pic/Sameer Markande

With just a week left for the lockdown period to end in the state, the government is mulling lifting restrictions in some districts, where active cases have significantly reduced, after June 1, but tightening them in places where the intensity of the pandemic still remains a cause for concern. Relief and Rehabilitation Minister, Vijay Wadettiwar, said that the state still has 15 districts that could be placed in the ‘red zone' in terms of transmission of the virus and caseload.

A health worker collects a swab sample of a passenger at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Kurla on Monday. Pic/Sameer Markande

We cannot ease restrictions in red zone districts. We will have to make strict rules, perhaps create containment zones where the cases are more," he said, adding that the restrictions could be eased where the caseload is low.

Review starts

Government officials said that they have already started reviewing the situation across the state, based on which further decisions would be taken. Fears of a third wave would also be taken into consideration.

Sources said easing of restrictions in Mumbai and its metropolitan region would be considered separately because it involves parametres that are entirely different from the rest of Maharashtra. Pune could also be assessed separately, they said. The lockdown restrictions were put in place on April 13 and later extended till the morning of June 1. Addressing over 6,000 paediatricians from across the state on Sunday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had said that the danger was still there even though the caseload was under control in some places.

Also Read: Mumbai sees drop in new cases of Covid-19

During a review meeting of district collectors held last weekend, Revenue Minister, Balasaheb Thorat had advised the administrations of about 14-15 districts to impose tougher restrictions on the movement of people and vehicles in the current week and after June 1 as well. They were also asked to discourage home quarantine and admit suspected and confirmed cases in Covid-19 care centres, as an effective way to contain transmission, especially in smaller homes of rural areas.

The districts that might face tougher restrictions even after June 1 include Amravati, Buldhana, Kolhapur, Sangli, Yavatmal, Solapur, Satara, Ahmednagar, Osmanabad, Akola, Washim, Beed, Gadchiroli, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

According to sources, the CM, DCM, ministers concerned and Covid-19 Task Force would deliberate the possibility of easing and enforcing further restrictions. The Cabinet would also mull the issue at its weekly meeting.

The positivity rate (which should ideally be a single digit number), a requirement of 60 per cent bed vacancy in oxygen wards and ICUs and significant drop in the death rate would be considered for declaring a district a non-red zone.

Same template of easing curbs

Sources added that the previous template of relaxations (Mission Begin Again) would be replicated. To begin with, essential shop timings would be increased and later non-essential shops would be allowed to open on alternative days. If hotels and bars are allowed to open, their capacity would be capped.

A decision on whether to open trains and Metros for all, public and religious places would happen in the last phase.

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Date, in June, the existing restrictions expires in the state