Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday, 2 April said that he cannot rule out the posibility of a lockdown amid rising COVID-19 cases in the state and said that people have become complacent.
Urging people to take more precautions, Thackeray said: “I cannot rule out imposing a lockdown if the current COVID-19 situation prevails. People have become complacent.
“There are some people who boast of not wearing masks. There is no valour in not wearing masks. Not taking precautions doesn’t make you brave,” he said.
Thackeray said that if the current situation continues, the state’s health infrastructure will not be able to sustain the influx of the patients in the next 15 days.
“If people don’t take precautions and if the situation doesn’t change in two days, I will have to seriously consider a lockdown which I do not wish to impose,” Thackeray said.
‘Don’t Politicise Pandemic’: Thackeray’s Jibe at State BJP
Without taking names, Thackeray took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Opposition’s remarks of “taking to the streets” if a lockdown is declared. Thackeray said that those wanting to do so should take to the streets to help the state tackle the pandemic instead.
Calling the decision to impose a lockdown a “viscious cycle” along with saving the economy, Thackeray said that “employment can be regenerated, but lives cannot be.”
Narrating several measures that the state government is undertaking to tackle the wave, Thackeray said that the state aims to conduct at least 2.5 lakh RT-PCR tests daily in the coming days.
“The state has the highest number of people in the country who have been vaccinated so far and the number of people vaccinated will only be increased further, but vaccination does not mean complete protection,” Thackeray said.
“Till now, we have administered 65 lakh COVID19 vaccine doses incl 3 lakh vaccine doses yesterday. Even after vaccination, some people are getting infected because they stop wearing masks,: he added.
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