Make system more vigilant: CM's instruction to Nagpur & Amravati Div Commissioners

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the state and instructed Nagpur and Amravati Divisional Commissioners to make the system more vigilant amid rising cases. He also noted that the number of COVID-19 positive patients in rural areas like Nandurbar and Bhandara is increasing more than the urban areas.

This comes after a Central team, who came to take stock of the COVID-19 situation in the state, met with Thackeray on Monday.

Thackeray said that due to the measures taken by the government, the number of new COVID-19 patients are decreasing day by day. However, he said that the number of patients in rural areas like Nandurbar and Bhandara is increasing more than the urban areas. The Chief Minister also directed the Nagpur and Amravati Divisional Commissioners to be more vigilant and step up efforts to control spread in Covid 19 infection.

His directives came days after Amravati, Yavatmal, Akola, Wardha and Nandurbar witnessed an increase in the number of cases. The rise in cases in Amravati division were attributed to intensive testing undertaken for teachers after reopening of the schools and also to spurt in the number of people with mild fever due to weather change. In addition, the health ministry has pointed out that the rise in Covid 19 cases was also because of non compliance of Covid 19 protocol including wearing masks and social distance.

Health Minister Rajesh Tope said the focus of the government is on reducing the COVID-19 positivity rate in areas where the Central team has observed high positivity rates. Genomic sequences of patients in the area will be examined, he added.

Thackeray’s directives came at a time when the health department on Sunday had said Maharashtra has lower COVID-19 positivity and mortality rates than other states per million population.