Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, on Tuesday, asked ministers not to make any statement on the relaxation or extension of the lockdown beyond April 14 in the state because of the coronavirus pandemic. His message was quite loud and clear that ministers should not create panic among citizens who are quite keen to know the government’s move.
Senior minister told FPJ, “Several ministers, including Subhash Desai, Rajesh Tope, Varsha Gaikwad, Aslam Sheikh and Satej Patil, strongly argued in favour of extending the lockdown up to April 30. However, the CM was quite categorical that ministers should stop making any statement in this regard.
They should not assume anything at this point in time when the government is doing its level best to ensure Maharashtra doesn’t enter the third stage of community transmission.’’
The minister informed that the CM told the ministers that the decision either on relaxation or extension will be taken only after a critical assessment of the ground level situation is done.
Tope strongly asserted that it should be extended in cities affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Thackeray’s diktat comes close on the heels of the number of cases rising to a record 1,018 with 64 deaths so far in the state.
On Tuesday alone, 150 new cases and 12 deaths were reported in the state. So far, 79 coronavirus positive patients were discharged after their reports came negative. The government has completed surveying 12 lakh people under its containment plan. Of the 20,877 samples, reports of 19,290 were negative.
