Keypoints:
- If people don’t adhere to the given guidelines, active cases in Maharashtra could top 11 lakh by April 30.
- With the rise in cases, 80% of isolation beds are already full.
- Currently, 61% of ICU beds in Maharashtra are occupied.
- 34% of 9000 ventilators available for the Covid patients are already engaged.
- 90-100% beds are already occupied in parts of districts like Nagpur, Aurangabad, Jalgaon, Latur and Yavatmal.
On Wednesday, a meeting was held between the Central government and the State government wherein Centre told that Maharashtra could reach 11 lakh active cases of Covid-19 by April 30 if people don’t follow the instructions and if the surge continues to be uncontrolled.
State government officials have said that infrastructures of Maharashtra’s hospitals including ICU beds, ventilators could get saturated soon. According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials, the oxygen requirement will double by the end of this month.
Health Secretary Dr. Pradeep Vyas has said that,”The latest restrictions that have been implemented since Tuesday will show effect in next few days. We expect the peak in Maharashtra to come after two weeks or so. Lack of Covid-appropriate behaviour in January and February led to the surge we are seeing now.”
Studying the Covid situation, Dr. Pradeep Vyas also said that there has been an immense rise in Covid-19 cases in the past 7-8 days. Places like Nagpur and Mumbai has suffered the most.
In public health facilities, 60.9 per cent of 20,519 ICUs were full. Only, 8,011 ICUs are remaining. Out of 9,347 ventilators, 3,176 are occupied. Out of 62,304 oxygen beds, 32.7 per cent beds (20,419) are occupied.
“We urge people to stay at home to reduce the Covid burden, there is no need to panic but unnecessary movement must be restricted,” said Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Health Minister Rajesh Tope said, “It is a difficult time but people need to cooperate”. He has also said that if the news arises,Centre has agreed to divert oxygen from other states.
Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte has said that other districts will be asked to follow Mumbai’s system of bed allotment through ward-level war rooms.
On Wednesday, Maha CM Uddhav Thackeray said that the only plausible solution to curb the virus was by adhering to the Covid norms and following the guidelines.
Dr Shashank Joshi who is a member of the state Covid taskforce attributed the spurt in cases to the high volume of asymptomatic and suspect patients who often go unnoticed and end up becoming the spreaders or super spreaders.
