Maharashtra Chief Minister UddhavThackeray on Wednesday directed officials to ensure that religious congregations like the one held in Delhi last month are not allowed in the state, which has reported the highest number of novel coronavirus cases in the country.Holding a meting with district collectors and divisional commissioners via video conferencing, Thackeray said that the Tablighi Jamaat gathering has raised concerns of the spread of infection."The administration should ensure there is no festivity and that no religious gathering is allowed in Maharashtra."I will speak to organisers personally, but till the corona crisis remains, public gatherings will not be allowed at any cost," the CM said on the eve of Ram Navmi.He also appealed to those who had attended the Delhi congregation and travelled back to Maharashtra to come forward and get themselves medically checked.He also directed officials to ensure that people do not crowd markets amid the lockdown."It has been found that citizens are misusing the facilities like visiting grocery shops and purchasing other essential commodities, which are allowed to remain open 24 hours," he said.The CM also expressed the need to ensure that vegetable markets too are regulated."Either move the markets to open spaces or decide on their timings," he said.Thackeray saidthat senior citizens living in old age homes as well as migrant labourers should be taken care of.He called for providing special care for senior citizens and differently-abled citizens.The CM also said that services of ASHA workers and anganwadi sevikas as well as Homeguards be requisitioned to ease the load on health workers.
