A day after the state government introduced fresh restrictions amid rising Covid-19 and Omicron variant cases, public health minister Rajesh Tope on Saturday said fresh lockdown will be imposed if the daily demand for medical oxygen rises to 800 metric tonne (MT).
However, he did not mention the current rate of consumption of medical oxygen. Tope said until recently the state had reported 600 to 700 cases every day, but now the number has crossed 1,400. Besides, the Omicron variant cases have crossed 100. “Omicron cases are increasing rapidly, but in general such patients are not ending up in the ICU, nor do they need supplemental oxygen,” he added.
He said the government doesn’t want people to face restrictions. “Therefore I am making an appeal to people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. Wearing a mask is very important,” he said, adding that the administration and the citizens need to be vigilant right now. Tope noted that the situation will be difficult when the variant cases reach thousands.
“The transmissibility of Omicron is reportedly enormous. Abroad, the number of cases are doubling in a single day.In France, which is half of Maharashtra in terms of area, one lakh cases are detected every day. So, if the state is hit by the third wave, it will be because of Omicron,” he said.
He, however, clarified that the government has not taken a decision to close schools, while hotels and restaurants will continue to operate at 50 per cent capacity.
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