Those who have received both the Covid-19 vaccine shots should be exempted from the present lockdown level 3 restrictions, said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. “My personal opinion is that the vaccination drive should be held on a large scale. Those who have taken both the doses should be allowed to venture out slowly. I will discuss this with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday,” he added.
Pawar’s statement comes in the wake of the burgeoning demand across sections of the society to ease the present curbs for those who have taken both the jabs. The state government has been urged to allow them to commute in suburban trains, permit shops to run up to 8pm and relax restrictions on visiting the tourist destinations.
However, Pawar urged people to strictly follow the Covid-19 protocols, saying that the next 100 to 120 days are quite crucial. “These norms need to be observed strictly amidst the possibility of a third wave. In many places, people are seen walking around without masks. Such carelessness cannot continue, especially when an infected person can transmit the virus to others too,” he noted.
Pawar argued that the central government needs to ramp up the supply of doses to the states in proportion to the population. However, this does not seem to be the case now.
“The vaccination drive has slowed down due to the non-availability of vaccine doses. The central government had said that the doses would be available in July. However, we have still not received adequate supply,” said Pawar.
Initially, people were afraid to take the dose. “However, the mindset of the people has changed, which is a positive thing,” he opined.
