Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray says can’t afford to have second COVID-19 wave

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday urged people to not lower their guards against COVID-19 and said that although the infection cases were going down in the state, the pandemic was far from over, reported news agency PTI.

He also said several countries were facing the second wave of coronavirus now, but the state cannot afford to have another such wave.

“Even if the number of coronavirus cases in the state is going down, the pandemic is not over yet. If you look at the global situation, many countries are facing the second wave now. But we cannot afford to have a second wave,” PTI quoted Thackeray as saying.

“Therefore, people should not take things lightly. They should follow all the guidelines and norms,” he added.

“The state government has so far relaxed several curbs. But the use of face mask is a must and it should continue for a longer period for the safety of people. We have to make sure that no second wave hits us,” the chief minister said.

Thackeray said that when the pandemic began, there were only three testing laboratories in the state.

“But the number of such labs has now gone up to around 500 in the state. Likewise, the number of beds for coronavirus patients has grown to 3.75 lakh from around 4,000 in the beginning,” he said.