The Maharashtra government is likely to lift COVID restrictions in the state on Saturdays, with certain limitations in place, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Thursday. However, the weekend restrictions, earlier imposed, will continue on Sundays. Further, the state may allow fully vaccinated people to travel in local trains in Mumbai. The timings for shops, hotels and gyms may be increased from 4 pm to 8-9 pm on the condition that they ensure the staff is fully vaccinated. They will only be allowed to function at 50 per cent capacity.
The Uddhav Thackeray government may further allow opening of cinema halls. These relaxations will be introduced in 25 districts of Maharashtra. A detailed guideline will be issued in the next 2-3 days, Tope said.
The Maharashtra government is looking at relaxing the restrictions in the state as the COVID-19 cases decline. The state may allow businesses to open and fully vaccinated people to travel. The Maharashtra disaster management department is also in favour of allowing fully vaccinated people to travel in local trains in Mumbai, Tope had said earlier on Thursday.
Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and Guardian Minister of Mumbai, Aslam Shaikh, said the COVID-19 task force has submitted its recommendations over relaxations in the state to Thackeray. Those who have taken both doses of COVID vaccine should be allowed to travel and open their businesses, he said.
The Cabinet held a detailed discussion took place over the opening of Mumbai local train and Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses for fully vaccinated individuals, Shaikh said.
“As a Minister, I am also of the view that person whose two doses are completed should be allowed to travel in Mumbai local, we have also informed Chief Minister about this. After studying the report by the task force, a decision on Mumbai local will be taken in next two to three days,” said Shaikh. “Timings in restaurants also must be increased. A decision will be taken soon,” he added.
So far, only people engaged in essential and emergency services, as categorised by the government, are allowed to travel in local trains as part of the state’s efforts to check the spread of COVID-19. “To keep the wheels of the economy moving in Mumbai, the state disaster management has expressed its opinion in favour of allowing people who have taken both the doses of vaccine to board local trains. Some experts have also suggested increasing the timings of shops and other services beyond 4 pm (the current restriction time),” Tope said.
“It is a bit difficult to verify whether people travelling in local trains have actually received both the doses or not,” he pointed out. The minister said a plan regarding the same can be worked out with the help of railway authorities. “Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has invited suggestions and recommendations from various departments while reviewing the lockdown-like restrictions in the state,” he said.
Tope said in 11 districts of the state (out of total 36), the positivity rate is higher than the state’s average and the infection spread is also more. These include Beed, Ahmednagar and districts from Konkan and western Maharashtra.
The Maharashtra government had implemented a five-level plan to unlock the state based on the positivity rate and occupancy of oxygenated beds in districts and cities. However, as cases of the Delta Plus Covid-19 variant were detected in the state, the Maharashtra government amended the rules and notified that all administrative units will be under level 3 and above (4 or 5) till the district disaster management authority takes a call to withdraw them.
Maharashtra reported 6,857 infections on Wednesday. There are 85,913 active cases in the state, as per the Union Health Ministry.
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