The Center has once again blamed the state for not conducting adequate coronavirus tests in Maharashtra. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, in a press conference held on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, expressed his displeasure over the low number of tests being conducted in the state. Earlier, Minister Bhushan had mentioned the same view in a letter sent to Maharashtra Health Secretary Pradip Vyas.
The Health Squad has been monitoring the COVID-19 situation constantly in 30 districts of Maharashtra and reports are being submitted to the Central and State Governments on a daily basis. Furthermore, this team has also been giving necessary instructions and advice to the district health offices, with an aim to help the state contain the spread.
Sharing more information about this, Minister Bhushan has clarified that the number of coronavirus patients in Maharashtra has reached more than 57,000 and this patient population is very large. The number of RT-PCR tests conducted in Maharashtra is also low, where as per reports, only 57 per cent RT-PCR tests were conducted last week. The figure was around 70.3 per cent in February 2021.
He emphasised that the number of coronavirus cases are increasing, and keeping that in mind, the rate of testing it is not enough.
Besides this, a number of flaws have been found in the administrative plans made by the state, and it is said that while the number of coronavirus cases are increasing, the health department has not made necessary arrangements to handle the crisis.
None of the districts visited by the Centre's health team followed the COVID-19 rules as directed by the government and Minister Bhushan expressed that the state government is not doing enough to control the infection.
Meanwhile, despite the government imposing strict restrictions to break the chain of coronavirus infection, the public has not shown support in abiding with these restrictions. Officials have constantly noted that public places and markets are still crowded. Keeping this in mind, the state government has taken steps to impose a stricter restrictions.
CM Uddhav Thackeray, on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, addressed the state and mentioned that Sec 144 will be imposed across Maharashtra from April 14, 2021 to May 1, 2021, i.e. for 15 days. This will be applicable from 7am to 8pm, whereby only essential services have been allowed.
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