Is Maharashtra Safe from 3rd Covid-19 Wave? 'Slim Chance' But State Prepares for Worst

A mega third Covid-19 wave may spare Maharashtra but the state will upgrade its infrastructure by ‘1.5 times’ of the second wave numbers to arrest the possibility of a surge.

State surveillance officer Pradeep Awate, speaking to the Times of India, gave an example saying districts which reported 100 cases in the second wave were being provided 150 beds this time.

Awate said chances of a third wave due to the Delta variant were low as several people had developed immunity to it, adding to a growing chorus of experts who feel only a mutation in the virus can lead to a sizeable spike in Covid numbers across the country.

Anew variant of coronavirus – C.1.2 – which has been detected in South Africa and some other countries, could be more infectious than earlier strains and may evade vaccines, Dr Vasant Nagvekar, infectious diseases consultant and member of the Maharashtra Covid-19 task force, had said earlier this week.

What sets this variant apart is the speed at which it is mutating. This variant is changing and mutating at a rapid rate which are seen in many variants of concern and variants of interest,” he said in a statement.

Emergency and life-saving healthcare is topmost on the minds of Mumbai residents, with 60 lakh cases predicted if a third wave of Covid-19 hits Maharashtra. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said it was making all necessary preparations to keep the city’s health infrastructure ready, especially when it comes to bed and oxygen availability.

In an interview to Times of India, BMC additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani said the civic body will keep 30,000 beds ready for a possible third wave. He also added that oxygen refilling plants will also be set up in Chembur and Mahalaxmi, so that the city does not run out of the life-saving gas needed to keep Covid patients stable.

During the second wave, the BMC had 21,000 beds ready for Covid patients. In the ToI interview, Kakani also said various jumbo facilities were being made ready, and that all 30,000 beds would not be commissioned at once, but as and when required.

Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Assembly Elections Live Updates here.