The third wave of the coronavirus pandemic has started which will peak by January-end, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said in Jalna on Monday.
He also said that the 14-day quarantine period has been halved to seven days.
Mr Tope's remarks come on a day Maharashtra reported 33,470 new COVID-19 cases and eight fatalities.
He appealed to the people to strictly follow the COVID-appropriate behaviour.
"The third wave of the pandemic has started. It is expected to peak by January-end," Mr Tope told reporters.
He expressed concerns over many political leaders not adhering to the pandemic protocols despite the rise in cases in Maharashtra.
The health minister also appealed to political parties not to organise meetings and programmes.
Quoting an Urdu proverb, 'Jaan hai to Jahaan hai', Mr Tope said that everyone needed to be safe and follow the norms.
"Due to the spike in cases, the closure of schools is necessary to protect children from coronavirus. People should support the restrictions announced by the government," he added.
Mr Tope said that he had spoken with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya during a virtual meeting about the pandemic situation on Monday. In this meeting, utilisation of funds under the ECRP 2 (Emergency COVID Response Plans) for preparedness and prevention of the pandemic was discussed, he said.
"Repairing the defunct oxygen plants and expediting administration of a booster dose, vaccination of the children between 15-18 years was also discussed," Mr Tope added.
He said that only four per cent of the total 17,000 oxygenated beds in Maharashtra remain occupied as of now.
High-Security Jail To Come Up In Mumbai As State Passes Prison Reform Bill 5 Killed, 27 Injured As Private Luxury Bus Carrying Wedding Guests Overturns In Maharashtra "Is There A Proposal To Cut More Trees In Aarey?": Top Court Asks Maharashtra "Go Ahead": What Arun Jaitley Told Raghuram Rajan About Tackling Bad Loans "Presented No Evidence Whatsoever": India On Canada's "Serious" Allegations Gas Leak, Then Blast: CCTV Shows Moments After Jaipur Crash That Killed 11 Private Bus Destroyed In Jaipur Fire Did Not Have Permit: RTO India Lodges Protest With Bangladesh Over 'Map' Post By Muhammad Yunus Aide McCartney Reunites with Ringo And His Stolen Guitar In Historic London Show Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.