The Maharashtra government is closely monitoring the prevailing coronavirus situation and any decision on reimposing restrictions in the state will be taken only after seeking the Centre's guidance and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's views, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Monday amid rising concern over the detection of cases linked to the new variant Omicron.
Speaking to reporters in Jalna, Tope said imposing restrictions on the activities allowed in the state at present will be "too inconvenient" for the people.
"It will be too inconvenient for the people if restrictions are imposed on the activities currently allowed. Hence, we will keep a tab on the situation and take a call (on curbs) following the guidance of the Centre and the (state COVID-19) task force and based on the views of the chief minister," he said.
The minister said the state government is focusing on vaccinating people while facing the situation caused by Omicron.
"Rallies, marriages and political meetings are being held on a big scale. If COVID-19-appropriate behaviour is not observed there properly, then it leads to the possibility of spread of the infection. And Omicron can spread fast and hence, I think it is the need of the hour to implement the rules strictly," he added.
This comes as the Omicron variant cases in Maharashtra jumped to 10 on Monday.
Two more people have tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Mumbai, the State Public Health Department said in a press note on Monday evening.
A 37-year-old man who had come from Johannesburg, South Africa on 25th November has been tested positive for Omicron variant. His 36-year-old friend, who had come from the USA on 25th November, has also been tested positive for Omicron, the press note read.
Both patients have no symptoms and are admitted at the Seven Hills Hospital in Mumbai. Both patients have taken Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, it added.
Five high-risk and 315 low-risk contacts of both these patients have been traced. Further tracing is currently underway, the State Public Health Department further said.
(With PTI inputs)
