Study treatment of new strain of Covid-19, Maharashtra govt asks officials; Imposes 14 day quarantine for these passengers; details

In the wake of the new strain of Coronavirus found in the :United Kingdom, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has instructed the Covid-19 task force in the state to study the treatment method for the Coronavirus infection caused by the new strain. The government has also imposed the mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine for the passengers arriving in the state from the European continent and Middle East region, the Indian Express reported. The decision comes in addition to the ban on the travel of passengers coming from the United Kingdom in view of the fast spreading new strain of Coronavirus. The state government appears to have taken the decision of institutional quarantine for passengers travelling from other European countries and the Middle East to circumvent the possibility of the spread of new strain of Covid-19 by an extra mile.

In a meeting held with the District Collectors of all the districts in the state, the CM instructed the district administration to remain vigilant of the new strain of Coronavirus and increase the number of tests being conducted across the state. Thackeray also asked officials to impose fine on people who were flouting the physical distancing guidelines and not wearing masks. In a recent action taken by the Maharashtra Police, cricketer Suresh Raina along with a host of celebrities were arrested for breaking the night curfew guidelines in a restaurant. Beware of the fast spread of infection through its new strain, the CM asked the district collectors to ensure that all the Covid-19 facilities had adequate supply of oxygen, ventilators and necessary medicines. Thackeray also urged the residents of the state to avoid unnecessary travel and obey the physical distancing guidelines along with night curfew restrictions.

In line with other states, the state government officials were also instructed to expedite the process of identifying the list of health workers and frontline workers who are to be vaccinated by the Covid-19 vaccine in the first phase. Arrangement of the cold storage facility for keeping and safely transporting the vaccine in different parts of the state was also discussed by the Chief Minister in the meeting.