Uddhav Thackeray to meet State Secretary to decide on Maharashtra lockdown

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is chairing a meet with Covid Task Force to mull over a potential lockdown in the state due to the surge in coronavirus cases. Discussions are underway on various issues incl availability of beds, use of Remdesivir and imposition of restrictions, the Chief Minister's Office said. Now as per report, the CM has called the Maharashtra State Secretary to decide on the lockdown status in the state. The meeting is to discuss on  8-15 days long total lockdown and will be held around 8:30 pm. Mumbai is already in a partial lockdown with many businesses shut and offices also shut. The only exception is public transport and deliveries of all kinds have been allowed 24x7. Trains might also be affected if a complete lockdown is imposed. Traders have been against a lockdown and have been protesting against it since a week. 

Amid an alarming spike in Covid-19 cases across Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray yesterday called an all-party meet on Saturday to discuss the situation and steps to curb the spread. The meeting was attended by prominent faces of the Mahavikas Aghadi alliance and leaders of BJP, MNS, SP etc. It is being speculated that the government is mulling a complete lockdown in the state as new infections reach record high. In the meeting on Saturday, CM Thackeray might try to secure the backing of opposition leaders Devendra Fadnavis and Raj Thackeray, who have opposed the current restrictions. The state is currently under a strict weekend lockdown from 8 pm on Friday till 7 am on Monday. Section 144 has also been imposed prohibiting the assembly of five or more people. Meanwhile, Maharashtra administered COVID-19 vaccine doses to over one crore people so far in the drive began on January 16 this year across the country."We have crossed one crore doses today. Till today noon, we have administered 1,00,38,421 doses," Maharashtra's principal secretary (health) Pradeep Vyas said.The state government has flagged the Centre on facing an acute shortage of the doses, hampering its immunisation drive.