PUNE: State deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said the ongoing Level 3 restrictions would continue in Pune district, but the government was considering whether the fully vaccinated shopkeepers and citizens could be allowed in shopping malls.
The malls in Pune are closed in accordance with the level 3 curbs imposed by the Maharashtra government to curb the further spread of Covid.
“People tend to spend a lot of time in the malls. The malls have been kept closed as we fear crowding there. But there is a demand from fully vaccinated shopkeepers and traders to relax the restrictions. The state is considering whether the fully vaccination criterion can be considered as the condition to provide relaxations,” he said after the weekly Covid review meeting at Council Hall in the city.
Pawar said though there has been a slight decline in Covid cases in the district, level 3 restrictions would continue in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) limits and rural Pune without any changes. “This was decided unanimously by the elected representatives and the administration. The cases need to decline,” he said.
Pawar said the Covid positivity rate has come down to almost nil in some districts of the state, but not in Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Pune, Raigad and Ahmednagar. “The weekly positivity rate of Pune district is 5.7% and the recovery rate is 97.3%,” he said.
Pawar said he also met a delegation of industry representatives and told them to conduct vaccination drives for their employees. He said the government was keen on restarting the economy.
“When restrictions are eased, we witness crowding in the markets and tourist spots. Citizens should follow Covid protocols. We want to speed up vaccination to restore and revive the economy,” Pawar said, adding that the state was still not receiving adequate vaccine doses as assured by the Centre.
Maharashtra is slightly behind Covid vaccination leader Uttar Pradesh in doses administered so far — 3.8 crore vs 3.9 crore — but its second-dose coverage is the highest. However, six months into the nationwide vaccination programme, only 10% of Maharashtra’s target population has been fully inoculated.
State health minister Rajesh Tope had on Thursday said the fully vaccinated people following Covid-appropriate behaviour were less likely to be infected and transmit the infection. “There is a demand from fully vaccinated shopkeepers, traders and even individuals to relax restrictions for them, but rather than giving relaxations to individuals, a district-wise decision could be considered,” Tope said.
Senior officials said that there was a pressure on the state to lift restrictions, and it was likely that the state government may consider bringing districts to Level 2, which allows for fewer restrictions. Currently, the state was at a minimal Level 3 and above. The state was also considering extending shop timings and timings of restaurants for dine-in.
