Maharashtra to extend Chase the Virus campaign across state after Dharavi, Worli success

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said the ‘Chase the Virus’ initiative that received good results in Asia’s largest slum Dharavi will now be expanded to other parts of the state to combat the coronavirus outbreak.

As part of the campaign, 15 close contacts of a Covid-19 patient will compulsorily be kept in institutional quarantine, while community leaders will tell people about comorbidities, meals and other facilities available at institutional quarantine facilities etc, clinic timings etc. The initiative was launched on May 27.

On June 21, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) had stated that the proactive measures adopted by the BMC reduced Covid-19 growth rate to 4.3 per cent in May 2020 and further to 1.02 per cent in June. These measures also ensured an improved case doubling time to 43 days in May and 78 days in June.

“We have received good results of Chase the Virus campaign in Mumbai and we have now decided to implement it across the state,” the CM said in a televised address.

Mr Thackeray also informed that he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Abhiyaan so that Maharashtra can continue supply of food grains to the poor at low prices.