Mumbai: Media reports said that amid a huge spike in Covid-19 cases in India, Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray said that the state may witness a fourth wave of Covid-19. Thackeray said this while addressing the media on Sunday as Maharashtra has been witnessing a steady rise in coronavirus infections over the past few weeks, with Mumbai reporting the highest number of cases in the state. Maharashtra was one of the worst Covid-hit states during the first and second deadly delta-triggered wave in India. However, the minister appealed to the people of Maharashtra not to panic due to the increasing infection. Health experts have repeatedly reiterated that even if India witnesses a fourth Covid wave, it will not be as deadly as the previous wave of infections.
Thackeray also said that masks will soon be made mandatory in the state if the cases pick up.
“We are asking everyone to wear masks while stepping out. We have not made wearing masks mandatory, but will do so soon. I also appeal to the public to get the booster dose of the vaccine on time,” the Maharashtra minister was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Maharashtra reported 5,218 new coronavirus infections and one pandemic-related death on Thursday, taking the state’s caseload to 79,50,240 and the death toll to 1,47,893, a health department report said.
The daily cases increased by 60 per cent as compared to the previous day. On Wednesday, there were 3,260 cases and three deaths in the state. The number of active cases rose to 24,867, including 13,614 in Mumbai, followed by neighboring Thane with 5,488 cases and Pune districts reporting 2,443 cases.
Meanwhile, Mumbai witnessed a sharp jump of 2,479 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, 831 a day earlier and the highest daily count since January 23, while one more patient succumbed to the infection. given, the city’s civic body said.