Even as Maharashtra battles second wave of COVID-19, the state is prepping for a possible third wave of the disease that is feared to affect children. According to reports, over 8,000 children being infected with the virus in the state’s Ahmednagar in May, has triggered alarm bells. Children accounted for about 10 percent of the positive cases in the district.
Bracing for the third wave, a COVID-19 ward is being prepared especially for children in Maharashtra’s Sangli city, NDTV stated in a report. "We have prepared this Covid ward for kids so that if and when the third wave comes, we are prepared, “NDTV quoted corporator Abhijit Bhosale as saying. State government sources said they expect a possible third wave could come at July-end or early August.
The Maharashtra government on Sunday extended the lockdown in the state till June 15.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said many parts of the state, especially rural areas, continued to see high numbers, and there would be a tightening of restrictions in these places, while places where the positivity rate had dropped below 10 per cent could see relaxations.
Thackeray said people could not afford to drop their guard despite reduction in the number of cases, and added that the state was preparing for the third wave.
In case of areas where the positivity rate is more than 20 per cent or where occupancy of the oxygen beds available is more than 75 per cent, restrictions imposed on May 12 will be in place in addition to some new rules.