Maharashtra Government: The battle plan against COVID-19

Posted On - 20 March, 2020 • By - Raghav Gaind

Maharashtra’s Intense Plan for Corona Battle which started when a wintery “Pandemic” of December 2019 was not something people showed preparedness towards its first discovery in Wuhan, China. COVID-19 in the wake of havoc became an international concern as a public health emergency. Coronavirus/COVID-19 is contagious and owns the capability to spread from person to person if appropriate measures are not taken. In the midst of the chaotic outbreak, employers stand as an important backer with regard to the suspected and confirmed cases. Suspected cases in itself build in fear in the minds of employers & employees and there is a pressing need to manage the same sensitively and efficiently.

Measures or guidelines included in Maharashtra’s Intense Plan for Corona Battle to prevent and contain the outbreak?

Maharashtra
alone has reported 42 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as on 18 March 2020. The
numbers are increasing by the hour. In the rouse of the same, the Maharashtrian
government has taken certain measures which are as follows:

  • With the outbreak exponentially
    multiplying at a faster pace than actually thought of, the Maharashtra
    government has invoked the Epidemic Disease Act of 1897 (“Act”)
    in connect with Section 2, 3 and 4. The Municipal Commissioner is empowered to
    issue such an order under Rule 10 of the Act. For deterrence and containment of
    COVID-19, the municipal commissioner has sought panic slowdowns in the form of
    certain measures. The Municipal Commissioner has stated that all non-essential
    service providing offices to function at 50% of their staff capacity. Encouragement
    towards ‘Work from Home’ is sought for by most offices. Failure to comply with
    the same will attract the provisions of Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code
    which states non-adherence would mean imprisonment up to 6 months or fine which
    may extend up to INR 1000/- or with both. Implementation of the same would be
    thru the Assistant Municipal Commissioners (ward officers) who would visit
    several companies in the city to check whether the order is being adhered to or
    not.
  • Besides, the Maharashtra Government has
    announced a 45 Crore fund to tackle the Pandemic and has advised all health
    authorities and district collectors to take stringent steps towards the same.
    The government would put a “stamp” on the left hand of the person who
    is 100% self-quarantined till March 31, so that they can be easily identified.[1]
  • The Maharashtrian Government is also
    offering quarantine at hotels for a price bearing in mind the criticism
    received over unhygienic conditions at quarantine centres. If suspected people
    are unable to pay, they will be quarantined in Government buildings. The
    Maharashtra CM has ordered no religious and social gatherings and also
    postponed elections of gram panchayats and municipal corporations in the stir
    of the COVID outbreak. Restrictions will apply in the form as noted subsection
    1 of Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code.[2]
  • The Maharashtra government has also
    suspended the breath analyser for testing drunk driving cases in the stir of
    COVID-19. Should there be an improvement in the situation, testing would be
    resumed but not until then; considering the virus spreads through
    person-to-person contacts.

The
Maharashtra Government, with the highest number of confirmed cases in the
state, is taking all the precautionary steps to contain the spread of COVID-19.
From stamping the home quarantined people to imposing a ban on all social
gatherings, the state government is leaving no stones unturned while battling
the outbreak of this pandemic. Indian government along with its medical force
is making continuous efforts[3] to
further strengthen its preparedness and is chalking out mechanisms to fight the
Covid-19 menace.

Contributed By – Raghav Gaind
Designation – Associate

King Stubb & Kasiva,
Advocates & Attorneys

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