CM Uddhav Thackeray discusses another lockdown in Maharashtra
Mumbai : Amid rising cases of coronavirus in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray addressed people and appealed them to stay inside their homes unless it is urgent as the fresh wave of COVID-19 will be like "Tsunami".
"In the past, we celebrated all our festivals with caution. Be it Ganeshotsav or Dussehra. You all are cooperating with me. Even while celebrating Diwali, I requested you to not burst crackers and you followed it. And because of this, the war against Covid is in our control," the chief minister said.
"But I am a bit angry with you all. I had already said after Diwali there will be overcrowding. Don’t think Covid is over. I have seen many people not wearing masks. Don’t be so careless. Be in western countries, Delhi or Ahmedabad. This second and third wave is strong like a tsunami. Ahmedabad has even enforced night curfews," Thackeray added.
In India, Maharashtra has been the worst-hit state by coronavirus, Mumbai remains the worst-hit state.
"Covid is not dying because of overcrowding. In fact, it is going to grow. The vaccine is still not out and we don’t know when it will come out. Even if it comes out in December, then when will it come to Maharashtra? Maharashtra has 12 crore people. And it needs to be given twice. So we will need a vaccine for 25 crore people. So please take care of yourself. It will take time," CM Thackeray said.
"If we don’t have enough beds, our healthcare workers get infected, then nobody can save us. This is not the case right now but we still have to be very careful. We have still not been able to open schools. We are at a cusp. I don’t want to go to any lockdown again," he said.
"Hence once again I want to tell you, don’t overcrowd, wear a mask, wash hands, and keep a distance. This alone will keep us safe. I have now opened all places of worship. But please don’t overcrowd these places," the CM added.
Uddhav Thackeray's address came hours after his deputy Ajit Pawar hinted at another potential lockdown in the state.
On Sunday, Maharashtra reported 5,753 new coronavirus cases, taking the toll to 17,80,208. Currently, there are 81,512 active cases in the state.
