Even as the State government further relaxed the Covid-19 restriction and allowed private offices to operate 24x7, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that the State will go for strict lockdown if the daily requirement for medical oxygen touched 700 MT per day.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Tope said that Maharashtra is gearing up for the possible third wave of Covid-19. The State has the capacity to produce 1,300 MT liquid medical oxygen. Industries have promised to produce about 200-300 MT oxygen, and 450 PSA will start producing oxygen.

“With a full capacity maximum 1,700-2,000 MT oxygen will be available in Maharashtra. The central government has said that we should make provision of oxygen considering that the peak level of the third wave will be 1.5 times bigger than the second wave. In this scenario, State will require 3800 MT of oxygen. The government has decided that when the requirement of oxygen touches 700 MT per day, State will go for strict lockdown in auto mode” said Tope.

He said that Chief Minister has given nod to the Health Department’s proposal for relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions. Accordingly, fully vaccinated people will be allowed to travel in local trains.

Restaurants will be allowed to function with 50 per cent capacity. Private companies will be allowed to function with full capacity with fully vaccinated people. All shops including shopping malls will open till 10 pm. Cinema, multiplexes, religious places will not be opened till the next orders.

Meanwhile, the State education department’s notification to open schools next week has been questioned by the State task force on Covid-19.

65 Delta Plus patients in Maharashtra

With 20 more Delta Plus patients detected on Wednesday in Maharashtra during genome sequencing the total number of Delta Plus patients in the State has reached 65.

The State Health Department in a press release stated that the IGIB laboratory has found 7 cases in Mumbai, 3 in Pune, 2 each in Nanded, Gondia, Raigad, Palghar and 1 each in Chandrapur and Akola. Genetic sequencing tests in Maharashtra have shown that delta variants are found in more than 80 per cent of the samples.

Of the total Delta Plus patients found in the State, 32 are men and 33 are women. The highest number of 33 Delta Plus patients are in the age group of 19-45 years, followed by 17 patients in the age group of 46-60 years. There are 7 children under 18 years of age and 8 patients above 60 years of age. Death of one Delta Plus patient has been reported from Ratnagiri district.

Related Topics