A day after Maharashtra reported 43,183, its highest single-day rise in coronavirus cases, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday addressed a press conference and said that possibility of lockdown can not be ruled out if the current COVID-19 situation prevails. Now, the Chief Minister give a clear indication of a complete lockdown. "We tried to stop things slowly. But people are not listening. Instead, it is better to start things slowly by shutting them down, ”the Chief Minister said in a meeting with the editors.
Health Minister Rajesh Tope was of the view that the growing number of cases is putting a strain on the health infrastructure of the state. However, in the current scenario there is no other alternative available so a full lockdown is likely to be announced soon. It is said that the lockdown will last for 8 to 15 days. Yesterday, in a public address streamed live on social media, Thackeray warned that if the number of cases continued to rise at the current rate, the state would fall short of medical personnel even if health infrastructure could be expanded. He said that restrictions have to be imposed to prevent crowding. He attacked political opponents for threatening protests against lockdown, saying they should be helping the administration tackle the crisis instead. “Today, I am warning about complete lockdown but not announcing it. I will speak to experts and political leaders in the next two days. If there is no other option to a lockdown, we will have to accept it,” Thackeray said. He added that the question before the government was how to break the chain of infection.
“Some strict restrictions will have to be imposed in the coming days. In cities, we will need to avoid unnecessary crowding. In Mumbai, there is crowding during peak and non-peak hours in trains. There is crowding in restaurants and in other places as well.” Thackeray also attacked political parties and an industrialist – he did not name anyone – who has spoken against the lockdown in the last few days and suggested that instead, the government should upgrade health infrastructure. “Those saying they will take to the streets must come out on the streets. But they should do so not against the lockdown but to avoid the lockdown, to help the doctors, to support the families who have lost their breadwinner, to serve the infected and to help the administration that is fighting against the virus,” he said. Stating that he will upgrade health infrastructure, the CM asked his critics to make arrangements for 50 doctors and nurses daily. “I urge all political leaders not to play politics with the lives of the people. The government is taking initiatives for the safety of the people, to restart economic activities and save jobs. But at the same time, we need to save lives,” he said while seeking cooperation from political leaders and leaders of religious communities. As mentioned in this Facebook Live, Uddhav Thackeray had discussions with dignitaries and experts in various fields today. During a discussion with media editors in the state, he hinted about a second lockdown in the state. In his interaction today, the Chief Minister said, I will not talk about what is going on in other states, I value the lives of the people of Maharashtra.