Starting June 1, cities where Covid-19 numbers have fallen may be allowed to extend shop timings, and open some non-essential services
People at Dombivli railway station earlier this year. File pic
Some parts of the state might get limited relief from lockdown-like restrictions but all curbs will not be lifted at once. The state cabinet decided on Thursday that curbs will continue in districts where Covid-19 positivity rate is higher than the state average of 10 per cent.
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Antigen tests being conducted at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Other districts would be given some relaxations. Health minister Rajesh Tope said that for relaxing the restrictions or lifting the lockdown, two aspects — availability of beds and positivity rate — were being considered.
It is not advisable to lift the curbs completely across the state at this stage, but we would like to relax restrictions in the districts where the curve is flattening. There are 21 districts where the positivity rate is higher than 10 and any relaxation there wouldn’t be possible,” he told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting at the Mantralaya on Thursday.
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Tope said that the Cabinet did not discuss the details of the relaxations to be given. “Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will consult the Covid-19 Task Force and health department before the details are put out,” he said, adding that the relaxations could be about increasing essential shop timings and opening more shops (non-essential). He added that the residents of infection-heavy districts were expected to support the government’s decision of shifting patients to institutional quarantine. “The local administration has been asked to make proper arrangements related to personal hygiene like rest rooms, food, medicines and treatment,” he said.
Vaccine tender in limbo
Tope further said that the state’s tender for vaccine supply from national and international companies had received response from the official marketing agencies of Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and the Russian makers of Sputnik V. However, some bidders haven’t given rates and supply schedules.
“There is uncertainty because some companies have told other states that they will deal only with the Centre. We want the central government to intervene and make a common policy for all. But before that the Centre must also approve vaccines for use in India, because we have only three approved right now,” added Tope.
As far as the ongoing vaccination drive in Maharashtra is concerned, the Cabinet has decided to bring equality among districts by restructuring distribution of jabs based on performance so far. The districts that are ahead of others will go slow henceforth, while the low performers will be given more vaccines to reach the state average of vaccination. “The second dose will be a priority,” said Tope.
The Chief Minister’s Office said that the caseload was high in 10-15 districts and the threat of mucormycosis cases was also there. “Though the current number of cases is at par with the last peak in September, we must continue to take care. We shouldn’t lift the lockdown, but extend it after June 1 and relax it in phases,” the CMO quoted Thackeray as saying in the cabinet meeting. The chief minister has instructed the department concerned to work on relaxing restrictions after the issue was discussed.
20 lactating mothers take the jab
Meanwhile, out of the 39,000 people who took the first dose of vaccine on Thursday, 18,000 were between 18 and 44 years. Only 20 lactating mothers received their jab on Thursday as against 493 on the first day. On Friday, vaccinations for the 45 plus group will be held from 10 am to 3 pm only through online appointments.
After the BMC allowed a walk-in facility for lactating mothers, 493 took their first dose on Wednesday, out of which 479 were administered doses at civic-run centres. But on Thursday only 20 mothers took their jab, out of which five received them at private centres.
Districts in danger zone
Sindhudurg, Satara, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Kolhapur, Osmanabad, Pune, Sangli, Hingoli, Beed, Amravati, Thane, Akola and Gadchiroli (where positivity rate is higher than state’s average); Nashik, Ahmednagar, Wardha, Washim, Latur and Solapur (where positivity rate is slightly less than the state’s average).
Prohibition in Chandrapur lifted
Almost after six years, the state cabinet has decided to lift the ban on production, sale and consumption of liquor in the eastern Chandrapur district, which is famous for forest tourism. The ban was put in force by the previous government. Chandrapur was among a group of three neighbouring districts in Vidarbha where liquor was banned. Wardha has been under prohibition for many decades because of its association with Mahatma Gandhi, who led the freedom movement from Sevagram Ashram. Maoist-affected Gadchiroli became a dry district in 1992 following public protests. With the ban lifted, the sale permits that were transferred to other districts would be back in the Chandrapur market. Former chief minister, Devendra Fdanavis said the decision was unfortunate and it would have ill effects in the long run. “Instead of taking care of public health, the cabinet lifted the prohibition in Chandrapur. It establishes the MVA government’s priorities,” he added.
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