Pandemic not over yet, Maharashtra CM reminds people

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said people should not let their guard down as the threat of a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic still looms.

Talking to the media after inaugurating a pediatric COVID-19 care centre in suburban Santacruz, he said the pandemic is not over yet, and "people should behave responsibly".

"Don't forget that COVID-19 restrictions have been eased to keep the economic cycle moving. People should not fall prey to any kind of provocation which may endanger their lives and those of others," the chief minister said.

The daily rise in infections and the deaths due to COVID-19 need to be brought down, he said.

Experts had voiced concern that a third wave might affect children the most, therefore his government set up a pediatric COVID-19 task force and also a genome sequencing lab to get proper information about the virus, Thackeray said.

Maharashtra had on Friday reported 4,365 new coronavirus cases and 105 deaths.