Coronavirus in Maharashtra: Babus told to curb spread of virus outside containment zones

Mumbai: Amid rising coronavirus positive case in Maharashtra, the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray directed the divisional commissioners and district collectors to take every possible step so that the virus will not spread outside the containment zones.

At the same time, in a video conference, Thackeray asked them to prepare a detailed plan on the ground level situation in the lockdown 4.0 and their demands.

With the monsoon nearing, CM also asked the divisional commissioners and district collectors to strengthen the health infrastructure to tackle transmissible diseases. His interaction coincides with Maharashtra crossing the 24,000-mark in coronavirus cases. On Tuesday, the progressive cases surged to 24,427with 921 deaths.

Thackeray, who held the meeting before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation hinting extension of lockdown with new rules and norms, made it amply clear that district borders will not be opened completely especially when the transportation of stranded migrant workers is gathering a momentum.

He insisted that strict curbs will be implemented in containment zones where there are higher number of coronavirus cases and deaths. He reiterated that it will be the district collector’s responsibility that the virus is not spread outside the containment zones. Thackeray asked them to rope in the private medical practitioners to curb the virus.

‘’We have succeeded to curb virus infection in April, but peak is possible in May. We have to break the chain and therefore the public health machinery needs to be put on alert to avoid spurt in COVID 19 and also other transmissible diseases in the monsoon,’’ said Thackeray.

Thackeray admitted that it is quite difficult to strike a balance when on one hand there is health emergency and on the other economic emergency. ‘’Even though the government has allowed reopening of industries the district administration will have to pay proper attention to avoid virus infection,’’ he noted.