Decision In 8 Days On Flights, Trains To Delhi: Maharashtra On Covid

Maharashtra, which has just managed to contain its huge Coronavirus outbreak, will consider if it should allow transport to and from Delhi, which is witnessing a flare-up in cases for more than a month. The state will take a call on whether it would allow flights, train and road travel to Delhi within eight days, said cabinet Minister Vijay Waddetiwar. A decision to stop transport cannot be implemented before November 30, since the existing lockdown guidelines will continue till then.

"Along with Delhi, we are also looking at the condition in Gujarat. If Gujarat declares lockdown, then people will anyway not be able to come out of the state or go in," added the minister, who handles the Relief and Rehabilitation portfolio. Last week, the Centre sent a high-level team to Gujarat along with three other states.

Today, the Supreme Court sought status reports from four states including Delhi and Gujarat, saying "Worse things will happen in December if the states aren't well prepared". Maharashtra is also on the list.

Delhi is currently logging the highest number of fresh infections practically every day. The numbers -- on an upward movement since the end of October -- had breached the 8,000-mark earlier this month.

Data showed that yesterday, the city-state logged 6,746 cases, accumulated over a period of 24 hours.The total has crossed 5.29 lakh, making it the sixth-worst-hit state.

Maharashtra, in comparison, logged 5,753 cases, though its overall figure is 17.8 lakh.

In state capital Mumbai, which once logged the highest number of daily cases among cities, the fresh infections recorded over a 24-hour period on Sunday was 1,135. The overall growth rate of the virus in the November 15 to 21 period has dropped to 0.27 per cent. The doubling rate now is 258 days.

In view of the high number of Covid cases in Delhi, neighbouring Uttar Pradesh – which is also on Centre's scanner for its increasing caseload –  has decided to conduct mandatory tests for incoming people from the national capital.

Haryana, too, is conducting similar tests at Gurgaon and Faridabad – the two districts adjoining Delhi.

Gujarat, too, has seen a recent spike in Covid cases, forcing the state government to impose night curfew in several cities including Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara. With 1,495 people contracting the infection over 24 hours, the caseload in the state has crossed 1.97 lakh.

The state was slammed by the top court today, which said, "The Gujarat situation is next to Delhi".