Mumbai BJP chief urges reopening places of worship, cites 'need for religious support'

Mumbai BJP chief Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Monday wrote to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray requesting the reopening of religious places in the state. Mentioning that 'Mission Begin Again' had commenced, he noted that shops, markets, bus services have been restarted in a gradual manner. He also cited news reports about the state government giving permission to hotels to recommence operations with conditions.

Arguing that Indian society shares a strong bond with God and religion, Lodha reckoned that people required religious support at this time of crisis. According to him, it was necessary to immediately reopen all religious places closed down due to the COVID-19 crisis with social distancing measures. The senior MLA added that this move will prove beneficial for the mental health of people. While the Ministry of Home Affairs permitted the reopening of religious places in India from June 8 onwards, the Maharashtra government decided against implementing this relaxation owing to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state.

Read: Mumbai Police Share Hidden Message Related To Lockdown, Can You Decode?

Read: 2420 COVID Patients Cured In Mumbai In 24 Hours; City's Recovery Rate Soars To 66%

Prices of sanitizers and masks to be capped

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government is set to cap the prices of sanitizers and masks. An official notification in this regard shall be issued soon. The state Health Minister Rajesh Tope, who is in talks with the Food and Drug Administration Department has intimated about this to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. According to Tope, the sanitizers and masks should not be priced at exorbitant rates. Earlier, the state government capped the prices for COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals and ambulances to carry novel coronavirus patients. 

6555 new cases in Maharashtra

Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally soared to 2,06,619 after 6,555 persons tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Sunday, July 5. There are 86,040 active cases in the state. With 3658 patients being discharged in the day, the total number of recovered rose to 1,11,740. 151 deaths have been reported on July 5, propelling the state's fatality toll to 8,822. 

Currently, the state's COVID-19 positivity rate, recovery rate, and fatality rate stands at 18.57%, 54.08%, and 4.27% respectively. So far, a total of 11,12,442 samples have been tested for the novel coronavirus. While 6,04,463 persons are in home quarantine, 46,062 others have been admitted to institutional quarantine centres. 

Read: Maharashtra: Hotels Outside Containment Zones Can Operate From July 8