Maharashtra Chief Minister Orders Strict Action Against Violators Of COVID-19 Rules

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday directed senior officials to take strict action against people or organisations who flout COVID-19 guidelines. CM Thackeray and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar held a meeting with the divisional commissioners and district collectors of the state through via video conferencing today.

If people do not wear masks or follow COVID-19 rules, then the district and police administration has the responsibility to strictly enforce these rules. They must take strict punitive and necessary action without showing any leniency, stated Mr Thackeray.

He directed officials to create a health map of the state with the help of health workers by carrying out “My family, my responsibility” campaign.

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CM Thackeray expressed displeasure over the improper implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOP).

Over the past year we have set SOPs for various sectors while fighting COVID-19, but it does not appear to be implemented. It is a serious concern, said the chief minister. Wedding ceremonies, parties and other social events are seen taking place without following guidelines. We have extended the times of restaurants and hotels but we do not see that the rules are being followed, said CM Thackeray.

He directed the officials to send local administration teams to visit the places of gathering and take strict action if violations of rules are found.

Revoke the licences of halls where rules are not followed at weddings or other ceremonies. Strict action should be taken immediately if hotels and restaurants are not following SOPs, he said.

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The chief minister directed the municipalities in the state to spray disinfectant at public places regularly. The state government also decided to increase the testing by sending mobile testing facilities to villages. Meanwhile, Maharashtra reported 3,663 new COVID-19 cases and 2,700 recoveries on Tuesday.

A total of 19,81,408 patients have been cured and discharged. The total active cases of COVID-19 in the state stand at 37,125. The patient recovery rate in the state is 95.66%, said Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.