Maharashtra: Restrictions to be partially eased, in some places

Some parts of the state might get limited relief from lockdownlike restrictions but all curbs will not be lifted at once The state cabinet decided on Thursday that curbs will continue in districts where Covid19 positivity rate is higher than the state average of 10 per centAntigen tests being conducted at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus PicSayyed Sameer AbediOther districts would be given some relaxations Health minister Rajesh Tope said that for relaxing the restrictions or lifting the lockdown two aspects mdash availability of beds and positivity rate mdash were being consideredIt is not advisable to lift the curbs completely across the state at this stage but we would like to relax restrictions in the districts where the curve is flattening There are 21 districts where the positivity rate is higher than 10 and any relaxation there wouldnrsquot be possiblerdquo he told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting at the Mantralaya on ThursdayAlso Read Corporators need to stop interfering in vaccination workTope said that the Cabinet did not discuss the details of the relaxations to be given ldquoChief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will consult the Covid19 Task Force and health department before the details are put outrdquo he said adding that the relaxations could be about increasing essential shop timings and opening more shops nonessential He added that the residents of infectionheavy districts were expected to support the governmentrsquos decision of shifting patients to institutional quarantine ldquoThe local administration has been asked to make proper arrangements related to personal hygiene like rest rooms food medicines and treatmentrdquo he saidVaccine tender in limboTope further said that the statersquos tender for vaccine supply from national and international companies had received response from the official marketing agencies of Pfizer AstraZeneca Johnson amp Johnson Moderna and the Russian makers of Sputnik V However some bidders havenrsquot given rates and supply schedulesldquoThere is uncertainty because some companies have told other states that they will deal only with the Centre We want the central government to intervene and make a common policy for all But before that the Centre must also approve vaccines for use in India because we have only three approved right nowrdquo added TopeAs far as the ongoing vaccination drive in Maharashtra is concerned the Cabinet has decided to bring equality among districts by restructuring distribution of jabs based on performance so far The districts that are ahead of others will go slow henceforth while the low performers will be given more vaccines to reach the state average of vaccination ldquoThe second dose will be a priorityrdquo said TopeThe Chief Ministerrsquos Office said that the caseload was high in 1015 districts and the threat of mucormycosis cases was also there ldquoThough the current number of cases is at par with the last peak in September we must continue to take care We shouldnrsquot lift the lockdown but extend it after June 1 and relax it in phasesrdquo the CMO quoted Thackeray as saying in the cabinet meeting The chief minister has instructed the department concerned to work on relaxing restrictions after the issue was discussed20 lactating mothers take the jabMeanwhile out of the 39000 people who took the first dose of vaccine on Thursday 18000 were between 18 and 44 years Only 20 lactating mothers received their jab on Thursday as against 493 on the first day On Friday vaccinations for the 45 plus group will be held from 10 am to 3 pm only through online appointmentsAfter the BMC allowed a walkin facility for lactating mothers 493 took their first dose on Wednesday out of which 479 were administered doses at civicrun centres But on Thursday only 20 mothers took their jab out of which five received them at private centresDistricts in danger zoneSindhudurg Satara Ratnagiri Raigad Kolhapur Osmanabad Pune Sangli Hingoli Beed Amravati Thane Akola and Gadchiroli where positivity rate is higher than statersquos average Nashik Ahmednagar Wardha Washim Latur and Solapur where positivity rate is slightly less than the statersquos averageProhibition in Chandrapur liftedAlmost after six years the state cabinet has decided to lift the ban on production sale and consumption of liquor in the eastern Chandrapur district which is famous for forest tourism The ban was put in force by the previous government Chandrapur was among a group of three neighbouring districts in Vidarbha where liquor was banned Wardha has been under prohibition for many decades because of its association with Mahatma Gandhi who led the freedom movement from Sevagram Ashram Maoistaffected Gadchiroli became a dry district in 1992 following public protests With the ban lifted the sale permits that were transferred to other districts would be back in the Chandrapur market Former chief minister Devendra Fdanavis said the decision was unfortunate and it would have ill effects in the long run ldquoInstead of taking care of public health the cabinet lifted the prohibition in Chandrapur It establishes the MVA governmentrsquos prioritiesrdquo he added