People should not come together to
celebrate religious festivals at this time because government orders will have to be followed completely to overcome the coronavirus outbreak, Maharashtra minister and senior NCP leader Jayant Patil said on Saturday.
In a Facebook address, he said the virus could infect anybody irrespective of religion and hence rules need to be followed by all.
"There is no need to panic if the number of COVID-19 patients increases. We will definitely be successful in combating it. But no matter which community you belong to, you should not come together to celebrate festivals," Patil said, though he did not specify any community or festival.
While Ram Navami was a few days ago, Mahavir Jayanti and Hanuman Jayanti are round the corner, though the state and country are under a lockdown, which prohibits movement and assembly of people, for the coronavirus outbreak.
Patil said the lockdown has been "90 per cent successful".
He expressed concern over the rise in the number of COVID-19 patients in cities like Mumbai and Pune.
In Sangli, the 25 individuals who tested positive are stable as they got treatment in time, he said.
A coronavirus testing laboratory has been set up in Miraj in Sangli and it will benefit people from Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Solapur districts as well as the neighbouring state of Goa, Patil said.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
