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One year on, rising Covid cases still a concern in Maharashtra

The first positive case in Maharashtra was detected in Pune on March 9, 2020
Last Updated 07 March 2021, 12:57 IST

A year after the coronavirus was first detected in Maharashtra, there remain a significant number of cases in the state, prompting strict measures from the Centre and the state governments to control the virus and speed up the vaccination drive.

The first positive case in Maharashtra was detected in Pune on March 9, 2020, when a couple with a travel history to Dubai tested positive. The first death was reported on March 17, 2020, in Mumbai when a 64-year-old man, with a travel history to Dubai, succumbed to the virus.

The cases in Maharashtra were brought under control between September and October 2020 with stringent lockdown measures, but since February, cases have been on the rise again.

Last Friday and Saturday, the state recorded 10,000-plus cases for the first time since October.

Barring the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR), which is a hot-spot; cities like Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur and Amravati went under lockdown again to curb the spread of the virus.

Maharashtra now has 92,000-plus cases. The state now has a progressive total of 20-lakh plus cases and over 52,000 deaths.

When the pandemic broke out in the state, there were two testing centres, whereas now there are over 500.

The pandemic was the first big challenge for the new Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Thackeray has repeatedly interacted with people of the state through webcast urging people to wear masks, wash and sanitize hands and maintain physical distancing.

During the year, he also launched two ambitious scheme — ‘‘Majhe Kutumb, Majhi Jababdari’ (My Family, My Responsibility) and ‘Me Jababdar (I am Responsible)’ — which found mention in Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s address to the joint session.

“While the exact causes of surge are not known as laxity in Covid behaviour is not specific to the State, the possible factors are: Covid inappropriate behaviour due to lack of fear of disease, pandemic fatigue; miss outs and super spreaders and enhanced aggregations due to recent gram panchayat elections, marriage season and opening of schools, crowded public transport,” the Centre’s report about the surge in Maharashtra states.

The virus is spreading to hitherto unaffected areas and most cases are asymptomatic. People are not strictly following quarantine or getting tested. The sense is that the current wave is less virulent.

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(Published 07 March 2021, 12:51 IST)

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