No lockdown, however could curb prepare timings: Maharashtra minister | Mumbai Information

NAGPUR / MUMBAI: The state is still against a full lockdown but will impose stricter restrictions to control the spike in Covid-19 cases, Aid and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar said in Nagpur on Friday. Consideration is given to reducing the frequency of locals in Mumbai, closing movie theaters, and strictly monitoring the wedding halls.
Similarly, Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad stated that her department could promote grades I-IX and XI students without exams, but cleared board exams for grades X and XII would be held offline.
“Restrictions and no bans will be introduced in the coming days. We won’t stop trains, just a rescheduling is being worked out, ”he said.
“Trains fill up with floods, steps to contain the crowd on the anvil.”
Cabinet Minister Vijay Wadettiwar spoke to television networks in Nagpur about possible stricter restrictions to curb the upswing in Covid: “We are considering reducing the frequency of local trains, pushing on buses, restricting markets and strictly monitoring the marriage halls.”
Senior officials said steps to reduce train overcrowding are also being considered. “It is clear that the resumption of local transport for everyone has fueled this surge and so the state is considering certain restrictions on traveling by train if the situation does not improve,” said a senior official. A review will be done next week.
It is proposed to prevent unnecessary workers from taking trains for a few days in order to break the chain of transmission. “This is taken into account when other interventions don’t work. We can’t wait for the hospitals to be full, ”said one official. Train travel, albeit with time restrictions, was opened to all commuters on February 1st. Within 10 days, cases began to rise, officials said.
With an emphasis on crowd reduction, the state is considering how various exams can be conducted. “In Tamil Nadu they all promoted students, so Maharashtra has a decision to make too. There are people who insist that an exam is a necessity, so online exams are checked, ”Wadettiwar said.
Gaikwad told the media on Friday that the government might consider promoting students without exams and based on cumulative grades from all semesters. “The board exams have not been canceled and will be held offline,” she added.
Wadettiwar responded to criticism of a severely curtailed budget meeting, saying: “Some ministers themselves have had Covid and we are taking stock of how many MLAs are infected. Going for a full meeting is risky, so it is unfortunate that the opposition is playing at a time like this policy. ”
“The increase in some cases was noted mainly in Maharashtra and Kerala. Almost 70% of the cases come from these two states. To control this we have to take strong steps, ”said Wadettiwar.