Maharashtra: Amid rising COVID-19 cases, CM Uddhav Thackeray asks district collectors to impress upon people to use masks in public spaces

CM asks district collectors to impress upon people to use masks in public spaces

Instructs increase in COVID-19 testing to at least double the present numbers, send the sample of genomic sequencing whenever 3-7 cases are found in a cluster

Vaccination needs to be promoted as Maharashtra is below national average in all categories

Mumbai: Amid rising COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday instructed the district collectors to impress upon people to wear masks at least in closed spaces like cinema halls, auditoriums and offices. ‘’It is advisable to wear masks in public spaces,’’ he said at the virtual meeting with the district collectors. This is important as the Task Force at its meeting with CM held on Monday had suggested that the use of masks in confined places should be made applicable to avoid spread in virus infection.

Thackeray asked the district collectors to increase COVID-19 testing to at least double the present numbers immediately and improve ILI and SARI surveillance, and send the sample of genomic sequencing whenever 3-7 cases are found in a cluster. Besides, CM called for improvement in IEC and COVID Appropriate Behaviour and complete the ongoing work for oxygen plants on priority.

Further, Thackeray emphasised that the oxygen storage created must be kept piling up. Vaccination needs to be promoted as Maharashtra is below the national average in all categories.

‘’Do not make, as a panic reaction, all government hospitals as COVID hospitals. Try to pool patients at a few locations as hospitalisation is likely to be less,’’ said Thackeray. He further asked the district collectors to make available district planning development council (DPDC) and other local funds for completion of works pointed out in electric/fire audit for hospitals. This is important to avoid fire incidents at hospitals which were recorded in the last two years across the state.

CM chose to meet district collectors on a day when 186 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Wednesday. There are 955 active patients in the state.

According to the public health department, 1037 new patients were reported between April 20 and 26 of which 672 were in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad and Ratnagiri.

The positivity rate in nine districts including Dhule, Pune, Akola, Sindhudurg, Hingoli, Mumbai, Parbhani, Gondia and Kolhapur is higher than the state’s weekly positivity rate of 0.73%.

Published on: Wednesday, April 27, 2022, 09:04 PM IST