Home Ministry Government of Maharashtra letter for VVIP treatment to Wadhwan Brothers @BJP4Maharashtra @BJP4India… https://t.co/ewVEWcE6sV — Kirit Somaiya (@KiritSomaiya) 1586448016000

NEW DELHI: India's fight against coronavirus faces a daunting challenge in the state of Maharashtra which has seen a worrying increase in both the number of positive cases and the deaths.With 1,385 positive cases, Maharashtra leads among states in the Covid-19 patient count. The state accounts for nearly 20 per cent of coronavirus cases nationally and almost 50 per cent of deaths caused due to the virus.A close look at the numbers suggest that in the last six days Maharashtra has contributed 874 out of the 3493 cases, which is nearly 25% of the total cases.Despite lockdown in Mumbai, the number of containment zones - where one or more coronavirus patients or suspected cases are found - increased from 146 last week to 381 on Thursday.This shows a rapid rise in containment zones by 235 in just eight days.Out of the total 1,297 Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra, over 800 have been reported from Mumbai. The metropolis has also reported 45 deaths.These numbers are worrying, especially in the light of reports that preventive measures like social distancing and lockdown are not being implemented properly in the state.There are numerous reports of people queuing up for free food being distributed by the government and social organisations ignoring the mandatory need for social distancing.Some reports suggest that the vegetable mandis are functioning without any mandatory precautions making the people of the state vulnerable.The case of DHFL promoters Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan and 21 others of the family getting permission from a senior IPS officer for travelling to a hill station in violation of prohibitory orders is another instance of poor implementation of the the coronavirus-enforced lockdown.The fact that the corovirus has found its way into Dharavi , one of the biggest slums, is indeed a cause of worry.The state government and the civic body are doing their bit to prevent the spread, but these measures would yield little results till the lockdown and the social distancing measures are strictly enforced.A lot of people of Maharashtra have taken to social media to vent their concerns and anger over the violation of lockdown in the state.On Thursday, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said that social distancing and lockdown are the only potent vaccine against coronavirus as of now.It is important for Maharashtra to strictly enforce the lockdown if India has to win the battle against Covid-19.(With inputs from agencies)