Maharashtra CM Thackeray urges people to wear masks, avoid crowding during festive season

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday urged people to avoid crowding ahead of the festive season. The CM cited the example of last year when COVID-19 peaked post-festive season. He added that masks are necessary even after vaccination. The state is all set to have the 10-day long festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, which is celebrated on a larger scale every year. 

Without naming anyone, the CM also asserted, 'some people are in a hurry to reopen some establishments. I request them to wait for some more time because we don't want to open them and then close again if the situation worsens.' The statement from CM Thackeray came after Maharashtra Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leaders demanded the reopening of religious establishments, including temples. The party leaders in the state also staged a protest on Friday, saying they will forcefully open them next week if the demand is not met.

COVID spike post-festivals in 2020

Last year, despite muted Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, Mumbai had ended up witnessing a sharp spike in cases as people cocked a snook at social distancing. At that time, the public health experts assumed that increased interaction between people during the festivities and gradual unlocking had been the culprit. The COVID cases at that time had doubled within a week. 

Maharashtra COVID cases

Maharashtra on Saturday reported 4,130 new coronavirus cases and 64 fatalities, as mentioned by the state's Health Department. The infection tally in the state thus rose to 64,82,117 while the death toll reached 1,37,707. The number of recoveries rose to 62,88,851, with 2,506 patients discharged during the day. The state now has 52,025 active cases. 

Meanwhile, the Mumbai region recorded 13 deaths, Kolhapur nine and Latur three deaths. Mumbai city witnessed 413 new cases and four deaths, while Pune city saw 218 new infections and no fatality. Pune district also has the highest 15,469 active cases. Among districts, the highest fatalities were reported in rural parts of the Ahmednagar district, where 17 patients succumbed since Friday evening.

(With ANI inputs)

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