In response to mounting pressure from various sectors, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation announced on Wednesday that in the second phase of the unlocking, it plans to ease limitations in local trains for persons who have been completely vaccinated against Covid-19.
The Maharashtra government, however, will make the final decision on the case, according to the BMC.
The statement from the BMC comes days after the civic body wrote to the state government, requesting that fully vaccinated passengers be exempted from carrying an RT-PCR negative test report to the airport.
BMC Planning To Relax Restrictions In Local Trains!
BMC chairman Iqbal Singh Chahal told India Today that the COVID situation in Mumbai is under control, adding that everyone is in a good place right now. When asked about easing passenger restrictions, the BMC Chief replied that a decision would be made in the second phase.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation announced that on the second phase of the unlocking, it plans to ease limitations in local trains for persons who have been completely vaccinated against Covid-19.
Giving further details, he said in local trains, most Rapid Antigen tests are being done and there is surveillance and random tests at the present moment. However, he added that it is not possible to have an RT-PCR test for lakhs for passengers in the trains. “But this too would be taken up in the second phase,” he said.
The Ongoing Vaccination Drive In Maharashtra
Mumbai has recorded less than 500 coronavirus cases for the last two consecutive days, and on Wednesday, the city reported 635 infections. The city also reported 10 fresh fatalities during the day.
Talking about the ongoing vaccination drive in Maharashtra, Tope noted that the state needs a minimum of three crore vaccine doses per month to inoculate the entire eligible population.
Tope said the Maharashtra government is capable of vaccinating 15 lakh people daily, but currently only two to three lakh people are being inoculated in a day because of the vaccine shortage.
“Three days ago, we got seven lakh vaccine doses. The stock will be exhausted by the end of the day (July 12). We have got more than 3.60 crore vaccine doses so far and this includes about 25 lakh doses purchased directly by the state government,” the minister said.