With rising COVID-19 cases, Uddhav Thackeray warns of another lockdown

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday gave a clear warning that unless people strictly adhere to Covid19 protocols they should be prepared for another bout of lockdown in view of the increasing cases in the stateFor starters he has ordered all authorities concerned to ban public processions rallies meetings and gatherings to avoid overcrowding besides mandatory wearing of face masks in publicThackeray also announced that the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Aarogya Yojana MJPJAY scheme is being extended for another two months in the state to treat Covid19 patients at state expenseThe CMs stringent directives came in a highlevel review meeting of the Covid19 status in the state in which Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar Health Minister Rajesh Tope Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar all Divisional Commissioners Collectors police and health officers and members of Covid19 Task Force and others took partExpressing serious concern at the renewed spread of Covid19 the CM asked the administration strictly enforce all the SOPs for coronavirus control with penal measures against those violating the normsAvoid overcrowding Use facemasks follow all protocols while in public events gatherings weddings etc It is upto you Otherwise be prepared for another lockdown Thackeray said without mincing wordsReviewing the situation districtwise the CM said that the falling incidence of corona cases had resulted in laxity among the citizens and they were not following the protocols but urged the administration not to become laxBesides Thackeray directed that contingency zones should be set up in areas where the number of patients is increasing a structural auit of the jumbo field hospitals nbe undertaken and local bodies must disinfect all public places toilets bus stands parks etcOther measures were also directed including performing Covid19 tests in target areas identifying at least 20 contacts of individual patients and creating a health map of the state through the My Family My Responsibility initiativeThe authorities will also discuss with all business organisations and associations whether the SOPs are being followed and ensure their implementation police permission would be needed for marriages banquethall owners would be booked if they allowed anybody without masks etcGovernor Bhagat Singh Koshyari said that the threat of Covid19 has not gone fully and called upon people to exercise utmost vigil since nobody knows for how long the scourge will lastIn a grim observation Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar rued that barely 60 percent of suburban train commuters were not wearing facemasks posing a risk of further spread of Covid19 in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region as indicated by the sudden spurt in fresh casesLet us not push ourselves to another lockdown Its the people who must take the case We should not go back to square one she appealedFrom February 1 local trains were opened with restrictions for the general commuters but in the past one week alone the MMR region has witnessed a staggering 950plus average increase in new cases dailyAjit Pawar Tope several ministers political leaders and other health officials have been dropping hints regularly for extreme caution failing which the state could hurtle towards another lockdownThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever