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The Maharashtra government is taking steps towards the safe reopening of schools, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Thursday. “A circular has been sent to each district collector for coordination between the health and education departments, and to ensure that before September 5, both teaching and non-teaching staff are administered vaccine doses. We are taking steps so that this group can get vaccinated and have directed that special drives are undertaken for the same,” said Tope.
“Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the state paediatric Covid task force will review the situation and then we will take a final decision about reopening of schools,” Tope said after the weekly cabinet meeting. He told mediapersons that discussions were also held on preparedness for a possible third wave of coornavirus infections.
The cabinet has also approved a monthly hike of Rs 1,500 in the salaries of over 71,000 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), for which Rs 275 crore will be allocated.
According to the Centre’s sero-surveillance report, which also considers data from states, at least 55 per cent people in Maharashtra have been infected by the coronavirus so far.
‘In September, state to get 1.7 crore vaccine doses from Centre’
“At least 52 per cent of the state’s population has got the first vaccine dose and now we are prioritising that beneficiaries get their second dose,” Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Thursday. “… At least 25 lakh are waiting for their second dose of the vaccine. The Centre has assured that it will give additional 50 lakh vaccine doses in the coming month. In September, we are set to get 1.7 crore vaccine doses. We are also prioritising Covid-19 vaccine doses for the 18+ age group,” he added.
