- February 21, 2021
- Posted by: admin
- Category: Daily News
No Comments
- India’s western Maharashtra state, home to the country’s financial hub Mumbai, said on 21 Feb 21 it would impose new coronavirus-related restrictions in four districts, amid concerns about a second wave and slow vaccine rollout.
- As the number of cases has risen in recent days, India’s Health Ministry has asked several states to expand testing and surveillance, including Maharashtra, which has about 112 million people and accounts for about 16% of India’s economic output.
- Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said daily cases in the state had risen to almost 7,000 from about 2,000 earlier in Feb 21, demanding stricter measures from 22 Feb 21 to control the spread of the virus in four districts of the state.
- “The second wave has been knocking on our door. Whether it has come or not will be confirmed in next eight to 15 days,” he said in a televised address, adding that restrictions could be widened beyond those four districts if necessary.
- India’s Health Ministry has also asked Maharashtra and some other states to keep a close eye on variants of the coronavirus and to monitor emerging clusters of cases.
- The news came as India reported on 19 Feb 21 its biggest jump in new coronavirus infections in three weeks, with 13,193 cases, while thousands of marshals fanned out to enforce mask wearing across the financial capital of Mumbai, which is battling a recent spurt.
- 75% of India’s new cases have been reported from the southern state of Kerala and Maharashtra, home to Mumbai, a densely populated city of 20 million people. The two states already had the highest number of reported infections.
- Health experts suggest the re-opening of educational institutes in Kerala and resumption of suburban train services in Mumbai could be key factors.
- Indians have largely given up on masks and social distancing, Reuters reporting shows.
External Link : https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2AJ0OD
External Link : https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL4N2KR076
21-Feb-2021
