In the wake of increasing cases of the Omicron Covid variant in Maharashtra, state Cabinet Minister Aaditya Thackeray urged people to strictly follow virus guidelines, and get vaccinated. He said the state task force would hold a meeting later today with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to discuss Covid-19 curbs amid Omicron concerns. “The number of patients onumber of patients of the Omicron variant is increasing. We are testing in large numbers not just at airports, entry points, but within cities. Every week, corporate offices should do RT-PCR tests," Aaditya said. The Minister said the government would observe the situation for the next two to three days, with respect to adding more restrictions in place. The total number of confirmed Omicron cases in Maharashtra has gone up to eight now.
Aaditya said that those who had not received their Covid-19 vaccines should get inoculated on priority. He added that there was “no need to panic, but concerns remain when it is about health." On restrictions on international flights, Aaditya said the state government had tightened its rules and put additional curbs in place, which would be reviewed from time to time.He said self-monitoring was important amid large number of people constantly migrating, when it came to curbs on road and train travel. The total number of confirmed Omicron cases in Maharashtra has gone up to eight after seven persons from Pune district tested positive for Omicron variant of coronavirus yesterday. They include a woman who came from Nigeria along with her two daughters to meet her brother in adjoining Pimpri Chinchwad area, a health official said. Her brother and his two daughters have also tested positive for the variant, he added. Another case is of a man from Pune who returned from Finland in the last week of last month, the official said.