Amid an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases, the Maharashtra government has decided to further strengthen and expand the present health infrastructure.
The government has now decided to add 5,300 new beds, 3 new COVID-19 facilities. Meanwhile, 70 per cent of beds will have oxygen support while remaining will be in the ICU (intensive care unit) and have ventilator support, said Maharashtra Minister Aslam Shaikh on Monday.
Ahead of Gudi Padwa and other upcoming festivals, Shaikh has urged the people to strictly follow the COVID-19 norms and SOPs.
The Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led government has on Monday issued a list of guidelines to be followed during the Gudi Padwa celebrations this year. As per the guidelines, a gathering of more than five people is prohibited in public places from 7 am to 8 pm across the state. Processions, bike rallies, etc. have also been banned.
Meanwhile, all eyes are on Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's decision on lockdown. The Free Press Journal has learnt that a 15-day lockdown is likely to be imposed from midnight of April 14 till April 30. However, public transport, especially buses, trains and planes will not be suspended; nonetheless, people will be discouraged from undertaking unnecessary travel and prodded to work from home.
The government proposes to use the lockdown to focus on increasing bed capacity, ramping up the number of testing laboratories, procurement of more oxygen from within and outside the state and streamlining the supply of Remdesivir, ventilators and medical equipment. More importantly, the government will further increase the pace of vaccination, so that 6 to 7 lakh people can be inoculated every day.
