COVID-19 in Maharashtra: Chorus for lockdown gets louder

As the decibel level goes up for imposition of a fresh lock down in the wake of the rising Covid-19 and Omicron variant cases -- with no less than 10 MVA ministers and 20 MLAs testing positive -- Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has indicated that if there is no let-up in the situation, the government may impose further restrictions.

"We cut short the Assembly session recently. Thus far, 10 ministers and 20 MLAs have tested positive for Coronavirus. Everybody wants to be a part of New Year revelry, birthdays and other celebrations. Only, keep in mind that the Omicron variant has a very fast transmission rate and hence caution is needed," he noted.

Pawar dropped sufficient hints that a lockdown will be inevitable, if people do not comply with COVID-19 norms and restrictions.

His statement has come a day after Public Health Department additional chief secretary Dr Pradeep Vyas cautioned that there will be nearly 2 lakh active COVID-19 cases by the third week of January. Dr Vyas asked the civic and district administration not to be complacent and swayed by social media, print, and TV channel reports that Omicron variant causes mild disease.

Maharashtra has seem a spurt in the daily virus caseload, especially in the last 11 days of 2021.

Minority Affair Minister Nawab Malik echoed Pawar’s view and claimed that a lockdown is certain if people continue to gather in large numbers at weddings and other events. ''A third wave is expected in January. If people still do not follow the norms, a lockdown has to be imposed. Mumbaikars cannot afford yet another lockdown, so they have to strictly follow the rules,’’ he noted.

Mumbai District Guardian Minister Aslam Shaikh also asserted that the government will have to impose a lockdown if cases continue to surge in Mumbai and rest of the state.

Meanwhile, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar has said a stage of lockdown is fast approaching. But the chief minister will take the final call on when to impose it. A decision on restrictions on travel and on physical classes in colleges will be taken together, he added.