Uddhav Thackeray (file)With the daily Covid-19 cases crossing 5,000 in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, during a review meeting has instructed key officers to stay alert and take adequate measures considering the possibility of increased transmission of the infection during the Ashadhi Wari. Lakhs of devotees have moved out of Pune and are headed towards Pandharpur.
In a virtual meeting with all district collectors, municipal commissioners and district police superintendents held Friday, the CM said that all those participating in the Ashadhi Wari and even others should wear masks regularly.
Dr Pradeep Awate, Maharashtra surveillance officer, told The Indian Express, that the major concern is that the Ashadhi Wari may enhance the transmission rate of Covid-19 as devotees from Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Raigad and Palghar where the weekly positivity rate is high are likely to participate in the ‘Wari’. “We cannot rule out the possibility of the infection spreading to areas where there are very few active cases,” Dr Awate said.
4,205 new cases in Maharashtra
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Around 4,205 new cases were detected in Maharashtra Friday taking the total number of active cases in the state to 25,000. The case fatality rate in the state is 1.85 %.
According to the latest report of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, one patient – a 27-year-old fully vaccinated woman from Nagpur – has been diagnosed with the BA.5 variant. The patient tested positive on June 19. “Initially she was mildly symptomatic but at present, she is asymptomatic, stable and in home isolation,” Dr Awate said.
With this, the total tally of BA.4 & BA.5 variant cases in Maharashtra has gone up to 26. Pune has reported 15 cases so far followed by Mumbai 5, Nagpur 4 and Thane 2.
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