Center instructs Maharashtra to impose local restrictions to prevent covid infection during the upcoming Dahihandi and Ganeshotsav. 
In a letter to the Chief Secretary, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has suggested that local restrictions should be imposed to avoid crowds during the upcoming Dahihandi and Ganeshotsav, considering the risk of Covid infection. Although the incidence of infection is declining in Maharashtra, the Center has issued the notification due to the increasing positivity rate and the number of covid patients in some districts.
The state government had earlier issued instructions in this regard, and now the Union Health Department has also reiterated the need to take care in these festivals, so Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has appealed to all to take care in this regard.
ICMR and NCDC have previously expressed fears that the festival could become a super-spreader as the threat of Covid have not yet passed. A new type of virus infection is on the rise in Maharashtra and some other states, so it is important to take care, the letter from the Union Health Department said.
In the last few days, Maharashtra and the country have been successful in preventing the spread of the disease, so it is important to ensure that the emphasis is on test-track-treatment as well as strict observance of all health regulations regarding Covid, the letter said.
The appeal of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray
The state government had earlier issued instructions in this regard, and now the Union Health Department has also reiterated that there is a need to take care of these festivals. This underscores that we need to give more importance to the lives of the people today, said Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. An appeal for cooperation has been made once again.
Don’t forget that Covid’s hanging sword is always on you. Take care of the health of others as well as yourself and show the country how you behaved as a responsible citizen during this cowardly period, he added.
