Govt asks 15 districts to explore complete lockdown

Even though the Covid-19 cases are falling and the positivity is dipping, 15 of the total 36 districts continue to report more cases and deaths. The state gover nment has signaled a strict lockdown to break the virus chain and they have been asked to emulate the Mumbai model. These districts include Amravati, Buldhana, Kolhapur, Sangli, Yavatmal, Solapur, Satara, Ahmednagar, Osmanabad, Akola, Washim, Beed, Gadchiroli, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg.

Even though the gover nment under the BreaktheChain orders has imposed strict restrictions and extended lockdown up to June 1, the district administration has been asked to further restrict the movement of people and vehicles by introducing complete lockdown.

Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat chaired a virtual meeting with the district administration and asked them to isolate those with corona symptoms without home quarantine in a serious bid to curb the spread of infection. Thorat also insisted that these districts should increase testing and emulate the Mumbai model to control the virus infection.

The gover nment is deeply concer ned over mounting Covid-19 cases in these 15 districts and has directed to step up corona containment and management. Thorat added that the administration should avoid recommending home quarantine as it was not helping reducing the virus spread. He reiterated that institutional quarantine should be preferred. “Home quarantine is not working where people have small homes and their chances of mingling with the family members are more. It does not only impact the family members but outsiders also. Therefore, their segregation should be organized as such patients do not need hospitalisation,” noted Thorat.