Maharashtra opposes plea for adopting Kerala model to fight COVID-19

The Maharashtra government has informed the Bombay High Court that it is scrupulously taking all measures to control the spread of COVID-19, and sought dismissal of a petition which said the state government should adopt the 'Kerala model' to tackle the pandemic.

The state government, in its affidavit filed on Monday before the Nagpur bench of the high court, said it was implementing strategies as per guidelines of the Government of India as well as recommendations made by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

After the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Maharashtra in March, several measures were undertaken, including screening at airports in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, tracing of all contacts and high-risk contacts, declaring containment zones, collection of samples of high-risk contacts, setting up isolation facilities and so on, it said.

"It is submitted that the situation in Maharashtra is different than that in Kerala. The state of Maharashtra is scrupulously implementing guidelines of the Government of India and WHO recommendations in order to control the spread of COVID-19, the affidavit said.

Since all efforts are being made by the state government to control the COVID-19 pandemic, the relief sought by the petitioner is uncalled for, the affidavit said and sought dismissal of the plea.

The government submitted the affidavit in response to a petition filed by Nagpur resident Subhash Zanwar, who raised several issues pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The petition, filed last month, noted that the number of COVID-19 cases was steadily rising in the state.

It sought a direction to the Maharashtra government to take note of the measures undertaken by the Kerala government.

According to the plea, when the coronavirus outbreak happened in March, both Maharashtra and Kerala saw a similar rise in the number of cases.

However, the Kerala government has now managed to bring down its cases and flattened the curve, it said.

The petition sought for a committee to be formed by the Maharashtra government to study the Kerala model and prepare a report on the measures needed to be taken by the government here to tackle the pandemic.

The court will take up the petition for hearing on Tuesday.