MUMBAI: In anticipation of a third wave in September and October, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was reluctant to unlock various sectors in a larger way. But after receiving a report showing contniued decline in Covid cases and fatalities, the Maharashtra government has decided to reopen all sectors slowly.
Religious and worship places will reopen in Maharashtra from October 7, which also happens to be the first-day Durga Puja. Meanwhile, schools will open from October 4 and cinema theatres and auditorium on October 22.
In Maharashtra, positive cases of Covid are between 2,000 to 3,000 daily while deaths are between 30 to 50 per day. Earlier the positive cases were more than 4,000 to 5,000 and daily deaths were between 100 to 150.
Despite lowering the daily positive cases, there are some districts like Pune, Ahmednagar, Thane, Sangali and Satara which are still reporting high Covid-19 tally.
Maharashtra chief minister said that the state government has decided to open all sectors slowly, but people need to observe and follow the Covid guidelines strictly. He said that people should continue to wear mask, maintain social distance and wash hands regularly.
Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said that vaccination is a major factor in the decrease in positive cases. He said Maharashtra has the capacity and infrastructure to vaccinate 20 lakh people daily against the current vaccinations of two to three lakh per day.
"The central government should provide at least one crore vaccine doses per month. If we are given adequate vaccines, then the majority of Maharashtra will be vaccinated in a short time," Tope added.
In the local trains, only people who are fully vaccinated are allowed to commute by showing the valid reasons for travel. The general public who are vaccinated is not yet permitted to travel in local trains.
Raosaheb Danave, the union minister for state and the railway said, "the permission to start local trains for general public will be given once the chief minister says so."
"We are in favour of allowing people to travel by local train. If all things are open then there is no point restricting people from travelling in local train," Danave added.