Strict lockdown on cards? Maharashtra now has higher active cases than Turkey
Mumbai: Exactly 13 months after Maharashtra reported its first death on April 17 amid novel virus, the state toll on Sunday jumped pass the 60K mark to touch 60,473. The state's latest case total is also a big conern - 38,39,338, ranking below Italy's 38,79,131, which stands at No 8 on the Worldometer.
Currently, Maharashtra has 6,70,388 'active cases', higher than Turkey's 544,931 (No.5) 'active cases' but lower than France 10,72,849), according to Worldometer. The state total on Sunday shot up to 60K mark to touch 60,473 - just short of Poland's 62,032 deaths.
As the pandemic continues to be on deadly graph, the state has been setting new grim records of fresh infections daily - the highest being 68,631 on Sunday. The state also notched its highest death toll in the ongoing 'second-wave' - 503 deaths (April 18), pushing up the toll to 60,473 till date in the past 13 months.
Maharashtra, the worst-hit state from COVID-19 in India, has declared Kerala, Goa, Gujarat, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand as places of ‘sensitive origin’ in a move to stop the incursion of other variants of the contagion into the state.
Also, the government has launched a new set of guidelines if you are travelling here. If you are travelling to Maharahstra from any of these states by train, you will need a negative RT-PCR report of test conducted within 48 hours of the travel. Also, you will have to undergo a mandatory home quarantine time for 15 days after arrival in the state.
Meanwhile, with the infection on rise, the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is now planning a total stringent lockdown with further strict regulations to discipline the people and curtail the further spread.
"Restrictions will have to be strictly adhered to, or else strict action will be taken," warned a grim Home Minister Dilip Wasle-Patil on Sunday. He reiterated that in order to tackle the rising number of COVID19 infections, curfew order and restrictions should be effectively followed. Action will be taken against those who violate orders.
Although Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has not commented on a possible complete lockdown, several senior ministers and legislators of the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress besides the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party are largely in favour to stop a collapse of the state health systems.