Thread by @CMOMaharashtra

CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray's address to the State today;

Today, I am before you to replace the word ‘lockdown’ with ‘Mission Begin Again.’ We are re-starting normal life. This is like Lokmanya Tilak’s immortal words: ‘Punascha Hari Om,’ which he said after coming back from his imprisonment at Mandalay.

Lockdown is one part, and re-opening is another. If lockdown is science, reopening is an art. We will have to take cautious steps now. Any hasty moves will prove counterproductive.

Last week, I held a meeting with officials from departments like Revenue, Police, Army, Navy and Air Force to review preparedness. Predictions suggest that the monsoons will be satisfactory. But at times, there are sudden cloud bursts and floods. We are ready for any eventuality.

A cyclone may land on our western coast in a couple of days. Though I feel this may not happen and the cyclone may change its direction, we are prepared. I am telling people from Sindhudurg to Mumbai, to be prepared. I urge our fishermen from going to the sea for 4-5 days.

We have been advised to learn living with Corona, but remember that wearing a mask before going out is mandatory as is washing hands. Refrain from touching your face and eyes with unwashed hands to prevent infection. We will have to observe these protocols in the future.

We are exiting the lockdown gradually. We cannot end restrictions suddenly. Some countries did not impose a lockdown, we are observing their condition now. Some imposed a lockdown but lifted it. We are observing it too. Some activities are being open and shut.

We do not want such open-shut situations and want to continue with an activity once we begin it. We have imbibed this discipline and persistence over the last two months.

From June 3, we will open up gradually. Many go for morning or evening walks, some youngsters go for outdoor exercise.

So, when you go out, observe physical discipline even when you meet your friends and relatives after a long time.

From June 5, shops on one side will be allowed to function on one day and those on the other side, on the next day. But, avoid crowding. We have had to stop some activities in the past due to crowds. Now, let our discipline be an example to the country and the world.

From June 8, we are allowing offices to open. Here, we will begin with 10% employee attendance.

This is happening when we are coming close to or have reached the peak considering the present rise in Corona cases. If we follow precautions, the cases will start declining after 8 to 15 days.

Those above the age of 55-60 years, diabetics, those who are hypertensive should not leave their homes as they fall in the high-risk group.

Those who leave their house, that is, the middle-aged and youth must take care to ensure that the elderly at home are not infected even inadvertently. Maintain physical distance, take precautions and seek medical advice in case of cough, cold, fever, fever, loss of taste, smell.

Maharashtra has 65,000 cases of Corona so far, but this figure includes even the very first positive patient, who has been cured. Of these 65,000, around 28,000 have been completely cured and discharged.

For the last two months, Maharashtra has focused on health, treatment and enhancing infrastructure. Our task force is working tirelessly to develop guidelines. Our effort is to prevent transmission, reduce the intensity of infection, bring the mortality rate further down to zero

Many patients seek medical aid at the last minute. Do not self-medicate or ignore symptoms. Patients must report to doctors in time. These doctors are fighting like warriors.

Another important issue is that of migrant workers from other States. We have sent back around 16 lakh workers to their own States through Railway and buses. Around 800 trains have left.

Today, I am thanking Piyush Goyal ji for making trains available. Last time when I spoke he got upset.

He made trains available for ferrying around 11-11.50 lakh workers. About 42,500 ST buses have taken around 5.25 lakh workers to borders of their States.

Around Rs 75-90 crore from the CMRF have been spent on this so far. Over 3,000 people have been brought back to Maharashtra from 22 flights and more flights will land by June 7.

A total of 838 Shiv Bhojan centres have been operationalised and just between May 1 and 30, they have fed over 32 lakh people.

₹322 crore were deposited in the CMRF, and over ₹111 crore were spent on COVID relief measures.

Industries have been permitted and over 7.5 lakh workers have reported to work. We are permitting more industries to open.

As the monsoons begin, the academic year will start. There are questions about when schools and colleges will begin and if and when final year exams will be held.

I held a meeting of Vice-Chancellors yesterday regarding final year college exams. They unanimously said that the present circumstances do not allow for examinations to be held immediately as it is risky for lakhs of students to come together for exams.

So, we have decided that students will get aggregate marks based on their performance in the previous semesters for that academic year. This is because there is no clarity on when the exams can be held. The future of students should not be kept hanging because of this.

But, if a student wants to appear for the final exams to improve their previous performance, they can be given an opportunity in September, October or November, based on how the situation evolves.

There are questions about when schools will re-open. In some places, we have been compelled to use schools for quarantine. But, we can shift these facilities elsewhere. These schools can then be disinfected and opened for use.

In some countries, schools were started, but had to be shut down again. We do not want to do this. As we set the lockdown aside and launch our #MissionBeginAgain the focus must be more on starting education than on re-opening schools.

Today, I held a meeting with experts from the education sector. I asked them to check if schools in green zones, areas without Corona cases, rural areas, can be started after observing due precautions to prevent transmission.

We will talk to telecom companies for offering data. The use of mediums like television, radio, and e-learning can be explored. SD cards can be given to those who have laptops, mobiles & tabs for e-learning.

We will take concrete decisions in a few days. Education must commence.

Corona has taught us many things, made us look at life, ourselves and our families afresh.

As I said, you take precautions, we will shoulder the responsibility. The Govt has taken responsibility so far, while you took precautions.

Now, it is necessary to merge both, precautions and responsibility. The way ahead is tough and slippery and we will have to navigate it, hand-in-hand to ensure neither of us fall.

We must together take confident steps to enter the future as part of this #MissionBeginAgain and ‘Punascha Hari Om’

Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra!

We have around 34,000 active cases, and of these about 24,000 are asymptomatic and are in quarantine or isolation.

Approximately 9,500 patients are with moderate or severe symptoms.

About 1,200 are critical, out of which 200 are on ventilator.