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Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said that Covid-19 was still very much here and people must continue using masks and get vaccinated. He hinted that the State government might not relax Covid-19 restrictions in a big way.
Thackeray was addressing the function at Alibag organised to lay the foundation stone for a new building for the government medical college.
In his video address, Thackeray said, “Corona has not ended. There are many discussions about the relaxation of restrictions and removal of mask compulsion (in public places). I have been discussing the prevailing situation with the Covid-19 task force. It is the time to speed up vaccination”.
He added that as the number of cases is down in the State, more people must be vaccinated. He said that carrying vaccination drives during the peak of Covid-19 is difficult and hence this period where cases are less must be used for vaccinating all people.
“Vaccines are lifesavers. It’s two years now and we are still fighting the pandemic,” said Thackeray.
Maha govt orders allowing only fully vaccinated people in local trains illegal, says HC
Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday said the Maharashtra government’s orders of 2021 permitting only people fully vaccinated against Cvoid-19 to travel in local trains were “illegal” and brazenly affected the fundamental rights of citizens.
A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik said the three orders signed by the government’s then chief secretary Sitaram Kunte were in clear diversion from the prescribed procedure under the Disaster Management Rules.
“The orders passed by the former chief secretary were in clear diversion of the prescribed procedure. Due to the illegal orders, the fundamental rights of citizens were brazenly affected,” the HC said.
On Tuesday, the government’s counsel, Anil Anturkar, informed the court that the three orders in stand withdrawn.
“In spirit of the observations made by the High Court, the three orders are withdrawn. The State executive committee would be holding a meeting on February 25 following which fresh directives would be issued,” Anturkar said.
“We may withdraw the prohibition (on use of local trains by unvaccinated people or those who have taken one dose) or may impose it based on the present Covid-19 situation. At this stage, I cannot say anything further,” Anturkar said.
( with PTI inputs)
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