Amid rising Omicron variant cases in Maharashtra, the state government has delegated the powers to the local administration to take a decision on the reopening of schools for Classes 1-7 in urban areas and has made a strong case for a national policy on booster dose to curb the coronavirus pandemic. State school education minister Varsha Gaikwad on Monday said the government is monitoring the situation.
“The local administration in Mumbai and Pune will take a call on whether to reopen schools from December 15,” she noted. Meanwhile, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar cautioned that the virus is spreading fast and therefore there is a need to strictly follow the Covid-19 protocol. He said there is also a need for a decision at the national level on whether a booster dose of the vaccine is required to curb the pandemic.
Speaking after paying tribute to legendary social reformer Babasaheb Ambedkar at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar here, Pawar said the information available shows that the fully vaccinated have also got infected with the Omicron variant.
“We have doses available today. I think there is a need to take a decision at the national level in this regard. There are different opinions on it. Only experts who have done research with regard to the infection can talk about it,” said Pawar. He added that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the state administration are keeping a close tab on the situation. “The Centre should take a strict stand on patients coming from abroad in various states. It must be ensured that rules are observed strictly at our international airports,” he added
