On Sunday, August 29, the Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said that even though the trajectory of daily new cases had shown a decline over the last month, there are some districts in Maharashtra which are showing early signs of an upsurge in COVID-19 cases and test positivity.
He also mentioned that they need to be very careful as many festivals are lined up, which may lead to a spike in cases that have happened in Kerala. This decision comes amid fear of a possible third wave of coronavirus and a rise in cases of Delta plus variant in the state.
While talking to reporters in Jalna, Tope noted that Onam led to a spike in cases in Kerala, considering this we also need to be careful as many festivals are lined up in the coming months such as Gauri Ganpati, Dussehra and Diwali. This is the reason the central government issued the guidelines, which will be followed by the state. The final decision will be taken by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
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The minister also stated that they will follow the directives issued by the central government.
Earlier, the central government suggested to the state government to impose restrictions in districts where the test positivity rate is higher during upcoming festivals (including Dahi Handi and Ganesh Utsav) in Maharashtra.
Moreover, Tope also noted that they are working on vaccinating all teaching and non-teaching staff. This will be their first step towards reopening schools in the state, he said, adding that further decisions will be taken after holding deliberations with the state task force.
Moreover, he stated that the health department has directed the state administration to complete vaccination of teaching and non-teaching staff by September 5. A special drive for the same will be conducted, if required, he added.
According to reports, Maharashtra has the highest number of COVID-19 cases. Besides, it also has maximum Delta plus variant cases.
Also Read: COVID-19 Vaccination: Maharashtra will take a year at least to fully inoculate all adults
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