A day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s announcement on the resumption of Mumbai local trains for fully vaccinated citizens from August 15, the Task Force on COVID-19 met on Monday evening and discussed the possible third wave, requirement of oxygen, increasing the pace of vaccination and relaxation of restrictions on timings and operations of hotels, restaurants, bars, malls and places of religious worship.
The Chief Minister’s Office in a statement said the Task Force headed by Dr Sanjay Oak will prepare standard operating procedure based on today’s deliberations. As told by Thackeray in his virtual address on Sunday, the Task Force discussed the demands made by the representatives of hotels, restaurants, bars for extending their timings up to 12.30 am. CM had already received representations from the mall owners and operators allowing them to reopen. ‘’However, no decision was taken at today’s meeting,’’ said a senior officer who was present at the meeting.
A senior officer, who was present at the meeting, told the Free Press Journal, ‘’The Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte held two rounds of talks with railway authorities and he will meet again on Tuesday to discuss SOP for resumption of local train services allowing people with two COVID-19 vaccine doses. The railway authorities are quite positive and SOP is expected to be announced soon so that people with two vaccine jabs can travel on local trains. A 14-day gap after taking the second dose is mandatory for travelling in the local trains.’’
