Maharashtra crossed 200,000 Covid-19 tests on Thursday even as rising cases continued to cause concern among the health administration and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray conducted an all-party meeting to discuss the situation.
"I can express it in the English proverb - 'Hope for the best, Prepare for the worst' - in the situation," Health Minister Rajesh Tope said.
"There is no doubt that patients are increasing, but simultaneously, the number of patients being treated successfully and returning home also are increasing," he added.
Against this backdrop, Thackeray held a video-conferencing with leaders of all political parties including Leader of Opposition in Assembly Devendra Fadnavis, of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and Leader of Opposition in Council Pravin Darekar.
Others who engaged with Thackeray in the consultations included his cousin and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi President Prakash Ambedkar, Peasants & Workers Party chief Jayant Patil, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi leader Hitendra Thakur, AIMIM leader Imtiyaz Jaleel, CPI-M leader Ashok Dhawale, Peoples Republican Party chief Jogendra Kawade, Rashtriya Samaj Party chief Mahadev Jankar, RPRI leader Rajendra Gavai, Jansurajya Shakti Party leader Vinay Kore and others.
Thackeray gave an overview of the measures taken by the government to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic raging across the state after which the leaders made a series of suggestions and he ordered their immediate implementation.
Present from the Maha Vikas Aghadi side were Nationalist Congress Party leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, state Congress President and Minister Balasaheb Thorat, Shiv Sena leader and Minister Eknath Shinde and top government officials, among others.
( With inputs from IANS )