Nagpur: Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday said that a final decision regarding lockdown will be taken by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. The statement comes after Mumbai on Thursday recorded a spike of over 20,000 Covid-19 cases.
The number of total cases—20,181 is an almost 33 per cent spike from Wednesday’s figures. Four deaths, too, were recorded on Thursday. Out of the fresh cases detected in the last 24 hours, 85 per cent of them are asymptomatic and only 1,170 have been hospitalized.
According to officials, 106 are on oxygen support.
When asked about imposing a lockdown, Tope said the government is studying the cases in Mumbai carefully and a final decision regarding it will be taken by chief minister Thackeray. As per various sources, lockdown in the state was being discussed in the meeting between NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, the state health minister and other officials, but no call has been taken as of now.
The health department on Thursday said lockdown-like restrictions or lockdown in the state would be imposed only when demand for oxygen crosses 800 metric tonnes a day or 40 per cent of the hospital beds (Covid-19 beds) are occupied.
However, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief Iqbal Singh Chahal earlier said that lockdown or restrictions would be discussed if cases in the city cross the 20,000 mark. In another worrisome state, resident doctors and health care workers are testing positive in Mumbai. On Thursday, 30 more resident doctors tested positive in Sion hospital, Mumbai. A total of 260 resident doctors in the state have been tested positive till now, as per Maharashtra Association of resident doctors.
As per ANI, 60 employees of the city’s public transportation service also tested positive for Covid-19.
