Ashish Shelar chairs Covid-19 review meet; suggests masks, re-vaccination for high-risk individuals

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Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar on Monday chaired a review meeting to assess the Covid-19 situation in Mumbai and urged "high-risk individuals" to wear masks and consider re-vaccination, reported news agency PTI.

As many as 59 new Covid-19 cases have been reported in Maharashtra, 20 of them in Mumbai alone, taking the number of infections since January 1 this year to 873 in the state, the health department said.

"We reviewed case trends and healthcare system readiness in the city. Although new cases are being reported, there is no cause for panic. High-risk individuals, including those with diabetes, hypertension or other health conditions, should wear masks and consider re-vaccination," said Shelar, the guardian minister for Mumbai's suburban district, reported PTI.

"We are in constant coordination with central health agencies. The state health department and the BMC are following all advisories issued by the Union government," he added, reported PTI.

According to a health department statement, a total of 12,011 Covid-19 tests have been conducted in the state since January 2025, and the tally of active cases stood at 494, while 369 patients have recovered from the viral infection.

Nine patients have succumbed to the ailment in the state since the start of the year, seven of whom had comorbidities (simultaneous presence of two or more medical conditions).

Meanwhile, Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar directed authorities to formulate a robust monsoon contingency plan for crowded metro stations and ensure coordination with all civic and transport agencies.

Shelar, guardian minister of Mumbai's suburban district, said all agencies must put up a united front while tackling the issue instead of indulging in a blame game.

"All authorities involved in the Mumbai Metro project, including the MMRDA, must maintain continuous coordination among themselves and with the BMC," said Shelar after chairing a review meeting at the MMRDA headquarters to assess the city's monsoon preparedness.

"The review covered ongoing preparations for the monsoon season. I instructed all agencies to complete pending tasks in a time-bound manner. A detailed presentation was made by officials regarding emergency control rooms, road barricade removals, pothole-filling mechanisms, and deployment of ambulances and water pumps across the city," he said.

The minister said he had directed officials to deploy response teams round-the-clock and also carry out safety audits of metro construction sites.

(With inputs from PTI)