Lockdown in Maharashtra only if…: Health department lays down rules amid COVID spike

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New Delhi: Maharashtra health department on Thursday (January 6) ruled out a complete lockdown amid alarming rise in daily COVID-19 cases. 

The department said it will consider lockdown-like restrictions on two conditions. “No consideration of lockdown as of now. Maharashtra govt will consider a lockdown or lockdown-like restrictions after medical oxygen demand for the state goes beyond 800 metric tonnes/ day or more than 40% of Covid beds in hospitals are occupied,” Maharashtra Health Department was quoted as saying by ANI. 

The health department said that the current spike in coronavirus cases is expected to peak in mid-February and subside by mid-March.

Minister for Medical Education Amit Deshmukh told the news agency that for now, the closure of malls and cinema halls is not being considered. "There is a formula on which we have to decide the intensity of the third wave and the need for stricter rules. At present, we don`t think that cinema halls or malls are needed to be closed but if something is to be done in the larger public interest, the state cabinet will discuss these things, and the CM of the state will take a final call on this," Deshmukh said.

On Wednesday, the state government closed all colleges and universities till February 15. Maharashtra Higher & Technical Education Minister Uday Samant said, “Amid rising COVID cases, Maharashtra govt to discontinue physical classes in colleges, universities till February 15. All exams in the said institutions to be conducted online till February 15.” 

Meanwhile, Maharashtra logged 26,538 fresh COVID-19 cases and eight deaths, as per the state health bulletin on Wednesday. Of the new cases, Mumbai registered the highest number of infections at 15,166. The COVID-19 tally in Maharashtra stands at 67,576,032, the recovery tally is at 65,24,247, while the death toll in the state mounted to 141,581.

India has a total of 2,630 cases of Omicron variant so far, out of which 797 cases, the highest in the country, have been reported from Maharashtra.

(With agency inputs)