Once Covid epicentre, Maharashtra heads back to normalcy: Thackeray govt to relax corona curbs – inside details here

Maharashtra government is easing out restrictions in Maharashtra further with the flattening of the Omicron driven Covid curve. The mandatory wearing mask outside home will stay until WHO announces Covid as an ‘endemic’ disease.

The Centre asked the states to review additional restrictions as positivity rate declined significantly is most Indian states after which the public health department held a high-level meeting on easing the restrictions.

Dr Pradeep Vyas, additional chief secretary, Maharashtra said that most restrictions in districts outside Mumbai and Pune has been relaxed, reported the Indian Express. A few restrictions like 50 per cent cap in theaters and swimming pools stays still.

A member of the task force being hopeful that a more deadly variant is unlikely to emerge anytime soon, informed relaxations will be done this week in phases.

On mandatory wearing mask rule, Dr Vyas said that a decision could be taken once WHO official declared the end of the pandemic. He further added that wearing a mask does no harm and the public should continue wearing masks to protect them from air pollution and other air-borne diseases.

Maharashtra’s weekly positivity rate between February 12 and 18 stood at 4 per cent. Cases saw a sharp fall in major cities but some rural areas still witnessing a spike. Amravati has the highest positivity rate in Maharashtra at 17.8% followed by Gadchiroli (15.8%), Buldhana (15%) and Nandubar (9.8%).