CM Thackeray Urges People To Be Vigilant During Diwali Celebrations; Hints At Reopening Schools, Places Of Worship Soon

SOPs to minimize transmission of the virus could be released after Diwali, which falls on November 14, he further said. Thackeray also confirmed that schools were set to resume (for Classes 9 to 12) after Diwali, with safety protocols already in place for this.

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Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday while greeting the for the upcoming festival of Diwali, hinted at the opening of Temples and other places of worship that have been closed since March due to the Coronavirus pandemic.  SOPs to minimize transmission of the virus could be released after Diwali, which falls on November 14, he further said. Thackeray also confirmed that schools were set to resume (for Classes 9 to 12) after Diwali, with safety protocols already in place for this. The Chief Minister, citing the dangers posed to the senior citizens of the Coronavirus held himself from re-opening the religious places as they visit the places of worship frequently. Medical experts believe elderly people (those above 60) are at greater risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus. "When will temples open? They will open soon. After Diwali, we will create SOPs for this. Elderly people visit temples and they are at risk (of contracting Covid). Therefore overcrowding needs to be avoided... be it temples, masjids, or any other place,"  Thackeray said. The Chief Minister said that although the SOPs would be released later, the wearing of face masks while visiting places of worship in the state would be compulsory. He laid particular stress on that and warned people that those found without face masks would be fined. "People are criticizing me. I'm ready to face that. I'm cautious about senior citizens. If one Covid-positive person is without a mask, he can infect 400 others... these are doctor's figures," he said. The re-opening of temples in the state had triggered a satirical row between  Thackeray and Governor BS Koshyari early last month; the Governor, in a sarcasm-dense letter, asked the Chief Minister if he had "turned secular". The Chief Minister retorted that his Hindutva did not require a certificate of authenticity and that the government would only take a decision on this matter after "careful consideration".