MUMBAI: Even though compulsion has ended, people should wear masks in public as long as he and his deputy Ajit Pawar continue to wear them, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Saturday.
All restrictions including the mask mandate, intended to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, would end from April 2, the state government had announced two days ago.
But speaking at the inauguration of new metro rail lines in the city, the chief minister said though mask is no longer compulsory, we can not let off our guard.
Thackeray on Saturday inaugurated Metro lines 7 and 2A which would cater to Andheri and other western suburbs north of it.
"I saw most people did not wear masks. The only two people who have continued wearing masks since the day of the coronavirus outbreak in the state were me and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar," he said.
"As long as two of us are wearing masks, I would urge people to continue to cover their faces. Mask `sakti' (compulsion) has been relaxed, but we are yet to reach the point of `mask-mukti' (freedom from mask)," the chief minister said.
The precaution would prevent the threat of the next wave of the pandemic, Thackeray added.
Maharashtra on Saturday reported 130 COVID-19 cases and two deaths, taking the tally to 78,74,277 and the toll to 1,47,787, an official said.
The deaths took place in Bhiwandi in Thane district near Mumbai and Sangli, he added.
So far, 77,25,553 people have been discharged post recovery, including 102 in the last 24 hours, leaving the state with 937 active cases, the official said.
He pointed out that Nandurbar, Sangli, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Jalna, Hingoli, Parbhani, Latur, Nanded, Akola, Yavatmal, Washim, Wardha, Bhandara, Gondia and Chandrapur districts had zero active cases.
State health department data showed the recovery rate was 98.
11 per cent, while the examination of 32,707 samples in the last 24 hours had taken the overall number of tests to 7,94,53,522.
Total cases 78,74,277; fresh cases: 130; death toll 1,47,787; recoveries 77,25,553; active cases 937; total tests 7,94,53,522.