Maharashtra Government on Friday issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on preventive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 during Diwali celebrations. The state government has urged citizens to avoid bursting crackers to curb noise and air pollution.
State health minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday had said that people this year should celebrate firecracker-free Diwali to reduce air pollution and prevent rise in coronavirus cases.
Tope said, “We appeal to the people to have a cracker-free Diwali celebration and we are confident that the people will cooperate for overall betterment of people’s health. The smoke due to firecrackers causes discomfort to people. In the backdrop of the coronavirus outbreak, we must have a cracker-free Diwali.”
Maharashtra currently has the highest cases and deaths due to the contagion with maximum number of active patients in Pune, Thane, Mumbai, Nashik, Nagpur, Chandrapur, Raigad and Satara. The state has recorded 16,98,198 infections till date and 44,548 fatalities since the first case on March 9.