Maharashtra Covid lockdown news live updates: State records 5 lakh cases in less than a month
With the addition of over 35,000 Covid-19 cases on Saturday, Maharashtra has added over 5 lakh cases in less than a month.The state government on Saturday issued details of the new restrictions it was imposing: prohibiting gatherings of more than five people in public places from 8pm to 7am from Saturday midnight across the state and putting public places like gardens, beaches and seafronts out of bounds between 8pm and 7 am. All cinema halls, malls and auditoriums will remain shut from 8pm to 7am. With the Centre pointing out home isolation norms are being violated, the state has asked patients opting for home isolation to give their doctor’s information and it will be the doctor’s responsibility to ensure all norms are being followed. The state has also extended existing restrictions. Stay with TOI for everything from your city.
8pm to 7am: Gatherings of 5+ banned in Maharashtra, restaurants to be shut
With Covid-19 cases surging in the state, the Maharashtra government on Saturday issued details of the new restrictions it was imposing: prohibiting gatherings of more than five people in public places from 8pm to 7am from Saturday midnight across the state and putting public places like gardens, beaches and seafronts out of bounds between 8pm to 7 am. Read more
PMR testing hits new peak (29,287); tally jumps past 5L
The daily Covid-19 testing soared to 29,287, highest since the beginning of pandemic last year, in the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) on Saturday, taking its total testing above 27.87 lakh. Despite the rise in tests, the daily detections in PMR was 6,563 in the last 24 hours, a day after hitting a new peak of 7,090.
CoWIN to soon have hourly slots for jab appointments
Vaccination slots on CoWIN will be fine-tuned to have hourly and two-hourly slots from the current wider ‘forenoon’ and ‘afternoon’ windows to benefit those booking prior appointments, RS Sharma, who heads the committee overseeing the vaccine delivery system, told TOI on Saturday.
PMC seeks compliance reports from hospitals
The Pune Municipal Corporation has sought post-fire audit compliance report of all civic and private hospitals in the city against the backdrop of the fire in a Covid health facility in Bhandup, which left nine dead. The fire safety audit of the hospitals were conducted in January after the fire at Bhandara hospital earlier this year. Officials said while most hospitals had met the fire safety norms, they were requiredtosubmitdetailed compliance reports in the next two days. “If any recommended works remain to be done, the hospitals will have to complete them in the next10 days,” a civic official said.
Centre’s 5-step strategy to curb surge in Maharashtra districts
At a review meeting conducted by the Centre on Saturday, officials from 25 districts in the state that account for 60% of the Covid-19 cases over the past week in the country were directed to isolate as many asymptomatic patients as possible in institutional facilities. They were also told to increase fines for Covid-inappropriate behaviour. The districts have been given a 5-pronged strategy: exponentially raise testing, ensure effective contact tracing, implement Covidappropriate behaviour, boost vaccination and strengthen health infrastructure. Read more