Plan for third wave of pandemic: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray tells district officials

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday asked district officials to make plans for new oxygen plants and stocking of medicines in view of the threat of a third COVID-19 wave.

The chief minister spoke to district collectors, divisional commissioners and municipal commissioners virtually to take a stock of the pandemic situation, said an official release.

Due to the recently introduced restrictions, the daily spike in cases has stabilised, but the administration has to be very careful and plan for the possibility of a third wave, he said.

"To stop a third wave, vaccination needs to be expedited. Even though we have announced free vaccination for the age group of 18 to 44, supply needs to be planned," he said.

Permission has been given for setting up oxygen plants and the district administration needs to ensure that adequate oxygen stock is available in near future, Thackeray said.

There should be a registry of migrant labourers and when they return from their home states, they should be tested and quarantined if needed, the chief minister said.