Fadnavis urges CM Uddhav to ramp up COVID-19 testing in Mumbai, cites high fatality rate

On Tuesday, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis urged Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray to increase COVID-19 testing in Mumbai amid the rising fatality rate. He recalled that an average of 6574 samples was tested for novel coronavirus daily in the month of July with a corresponding fatality rate of 4.91%. On the other hand, Fadnavis pointed out that the first 17 days of August witnessed 7009 tests being conducted every day with an increased fatality rate of 5.40%. 

Mentioning that Mumbai's fatality rate was consistently over 5% as against India's fatality rate of 1.92%, he contended that the testing numbers were very low. At present, Maharashtra's fatality rate is 3.35%.

Thereafter, the former Maharashtra CM lamented that Mumbai has a COVID-19 positivity rate of 19.72% in comparison to the country's positivity rate of 8.81%. He stressed the need to focus on testing, identifying patients, and keeping citizens safe. The Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly requested Thackeray to give instructions to the concerned authorities in this regard.

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Demand for reopening gyms

Writing to Thackeray on August 14, Fadnavis backed the demand for immediately reopening gymnasiums across the state. Though the Ministry of Home Affairs allowed gyms to resume functioning in the Unlock 3.0 phase, the Maharashtra government has retained the earlier restrictions. Fadnavis argued that the social, economic, and psychological impact of the COVID-19 crisis has to be factored in as well.

He lamented the fact that gyms remained closed in the state at a juncture when liquor shops have been permitted to operate. While conceding that financial considerations are important, the Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly questioned Thackeray on the lack of importance accorded to people's health. Citing the example of barbershops, Fadnavis regretted the fact that Maharashtra had not the lead in reopening economic activities.

He said that all the lockdown restrictions will have to be gradually relaxed. Thereafter, he alleged that the state government's entire strategy to control the spread of COVID-19 had failed. Moreover, the BJP leader slammed the MVA government for focusing more on rapid antigen tests than the RT-PCR test for the novel coronavirus.

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