Maharashtra tightens Covid-19 restrictions on fears of third wave

Malls, multiplexes, store timings in state to be impacted

Malls and multiplexes in Maharashtra will again have to down shutters and shop timings will get restricted as the state government tightened its Covid-19 curbs on Friday.

For Mumbai, however, it will make little difference because malls and multiplexes are anyway shut in the city.

Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte issued the new order amid the spread of the Delta Plus variant of Covid-19 and fears of a third wave of the pandemic in the next four-six weeks.

The new restrictions were issued even as the state crossed the 30-million vaccination mark, the first in the country to achieve it.

The Maharashtra government had earlier in June introduced a graded policy on unlocking, linking the level of restrictions in each district to the Covid-19 case positivity rate and the occupancy of oxygenated beds. Districts were classified in level 1-5, based on this criterion. Modifying that policy, the government has now tightened the curbs in what is being seen as preventive action to forestall the third wave of the pandemic.

The order will affect cities like Thane, Pune, and Nagpur, which had seen far more relaxation than Mumbai, including extended timings for shops and restaurants, besides the opening of malls.

Currently level 3 restrictions are in place in Mumbai. Shops, restaurants, gyms, and salons are open till 4 pm in the city with a cap on their capacity.

Districts under levels 4 and 5 face greater restriction. The local municipal corporation will issue specific orders for Mumbai.

The state on Thursday recorded 9,844 fresh cases of Covid-19. While they have declined from over 50,000 in April and May, these have continued to trend between 8,000 and 10,000 range now.

The presence of the Delta Plus variant of Covid-19, which is characterised by increased transmissibility and potential reduction in monoclonal antibody responses, has caused concern.

So far over 20 cases of the new variant have been detected in seven districts in the state.

In his order, Kunte said a state-level trigger, mandating all cities and districts to remain at level 3 or above, will be in place till the next revision in view of the mutations of the virus in various areas.

Weekly positivity rates will be determined only on the basis of RT-PCR tests. Districts administrations have also been instructed to take various steps including increased testing, vaccination, and enforcement to check the spread of the pandemic. This includes compelling organisations to enforce safe work spaces with proper air ventilation norms by using hepa filters or proper exhaust fans due to the airborne droplet nature of the virus.

“We have still not come out of the second wave and we have to avoid the third wave. This can be achieved if we follow proper precautions and increase the pace of vaccination,” said Rahul Pandit, a member of the state’s Covid-19 task force.

On Friday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray held a review meeting to assess the requirements of oxygen, ICU beds, and field hospitals. The seven districts that have reported the Delta plus variant have been asked to take extra precautions and increase testing and vaccination.