As COVID19 cases surge across Maharashtra, which is the worst affected state due to rising coronavirus cases, the state Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has written to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi today “to further lower the age group eligible for vaccination to 25 years old to curb the intensity of the rising cases in the state.”

In his letter dated April 5, Thackeray informed the prime minister that the prevailing second wave of the virus is much stronger than the first wave the state faced last year. He went on to say that as of April 4, the state has administered 76.86 lakh doses of COVID19 vaccine, which is the highest in the country. On April 3 alone, the state administered 4.62 lakh corona vaccine doses in a single day.

Apart from requesting for additional vaccine doses, the chief minister requested Modi to lower the eligible age for vaccine to 25 years, as the states facing the surge are having to place curbs to safeguard the loves of the population.

“If a large number of our young and working population is vaccinated, the intensity of the cases would be much lower  than the treatment that they need today,” reads the letter.

More than half the new coronavirus cases in India are from Maharashtra alone. The state also tops in daily deaths due to COVID-19. 

To contain the spread of the virus, yesterday the Maharashtra government announced a new set of guidelines called — Break The Chain. These guidelines will come into effect from 8pm today and are likely to be in place till April 30. Restrictions include a night curfew and a “strict lockdown” over the weekends from Friday 8 pm to Monday 7 am. Shops, malls, schools, colleges, markets, except groceries, medicines, will remain closed.