The Maharashtra government has decided to stop home quarantining of COVID-19 patients in 18 districts where the positivity rate is high and all active patients in these areas would be admitted to COVID Care Centers, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Tuesday.
Of 36 districts in Maharashtra, Satara, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Osmanabad, Beed, Raigad, Pune, Hingoli, Akola, Amravati, Kolhapur, Thane, Sangli, Gadchiroli, Wardha, Nashik, Ahmednagar and Latur have above-average positivity rates, as per the health department data.
Meanwhile, Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol said the decision is impractical and urged the government to reconsider it. "The number of patients in Pune city is being curtailed efficiently by the administration. However, the state government today decided to ban home isolation in 18 districts. This decision is not feasible and needs to be reconsidered by the state government," tweeted Mohol.
Mohol said in the first wave of COVID-19 patients were found in large numbers in the same area or in densely populated areas. Hence, there were difficulties in treatment. Keeping this in mind, Covid Care Centers were set up in many areas by the municipal corporation. Many citizens recovered at these centres and went home. However, the present situation is different, said Mohol. More patients are found in the housing societies now, he said. The Mayor said it is a fact that most patients in the ongoing (second) COVID-19 wave had access to home isolation facilities and as a result, such patients were cured at home.
"Due to this decision of the state government, Covid Care Centre, quarantine centre will have to be constructed anew. It will cost separate manpower and money. Moreover, if these rules are implemented, it is unlikely to get a response," Mohol said.
"The mentality of the citizens was different during the first wave of COVID-19 and is different now. It is also worth noting that during the second wave, about 80 per cent of the patients opted for home isolation," Mohol added.
