Corona-free village drive to check cases in rural areas, says Uddhav Thackeray

Stepping out akin to inviting third wave, says Maharashtra CM

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday announced a ‘Corona-free village’ drive to check the spread of COVID-19 in rural areas while noting that the surge in cases in some districts in the rural hinterland was a cause for concern and must be immediately stopped. He said that the Maharashtra government had decided to extend lockdown-like restrictions in the State till June 15 and recklessly stepping out of homes was akin to giving an invitation to a third wave of the pandemic. “For some reason, there has been a gradual increase in cases in some districts in the rural parts of the State. If every citizen here resolves to keep his or her home corona-free, then eventually their village, and ultimately the State, will be free of the scourge of the virus. Popatrao Pawar in Hiwre Bazaar, Ruturaj Deshmukh in Mohol, and Komal Karpe from Solapur have made their villages corona-free. If they have been able to manage this, why not other headmen of other villages?” he asked.