Maharashtra mulling full lockdown for at least a week amid surge in Covid infections

Maharashtra is considering imposing a complete lockdown for at least a week as the health apparatus in India’s worst-affected state struggles to cope with increasing Covid-19 cases.

The state government has called an all-party meeting on Saturday where chief minister Uddhav Thackeray will try to secure the backing of opposition leaders such as BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who have opposed the current restrictions. The CM is likely to argue that there is no other option than a lockdown given the severity of the pandemic, said people aware of the matter.

On Friday, the state relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar publicly said he had urged the CM to declare a three-week shutdown, while ET learnt that health minister Rajesh Tope would similarly advise the government to declare a two-three week complete lockdown.


“I have told the chief minister that in spite of restrictions there is too much crowd in vegetable markets, grocery stores," Wadettiwar told media persons after meeting Thackeray.

Many in NCP, Cong Against Move
“There are too many cases coming up in hospitals, which is why I have told the chief minister that we need a lockdown for the next three weeks,” he said.

Tope has said that the number of active cases in the state can soar to 1.1 million from more than 500,000 if things remain the same.

At the same time, several leaders in the ruling NCP and Congress are opposed to a complete lockdown, according to party members.

Maharashtra has been reporting more than 50,000 cases a day for the past few days.

The state announced a slew of restrictions, including night curfew and weekend lockdown, from April 5 till the end of the month.

Several districts in the state are, however, struggling to arrange beds for patients, getting oxygen and ventilators for the seriously ill patients, as they are overwhelmed with cases, according to state government officials. The shortage of remdesivir, an antiviral drug used to treat coronavirus patients, is another key issue, they said, adding that it will take another 15-20 days for the supply to normalise.