COVID-19 update | Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray to address state at 8:30 pm

Uddhav Thackeray's address to the state comes two days after State Health Minister Rajesh Tope announced the extension of COVID-19 curbs till June 15.

Moneycontrol News

May 30, 2021 / 04:28 PM IST

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray (File image)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will address the state at 8:30 pm on May 30, said a statement issued by his office. The address is likely to be centred around the coronavirus crisis in the state.

Thackeray's message would be broadcast live via the official social media handles of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

The address comes two days after Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope announced the extension of lockdown-like curbs till at least June 15. The state has been placed under COVID-19 curbs since early April, when the number of infections began multiplying exponentially.

Although the active caseload and test positivity rate have come down to the levels of September 2020, the state government has decided to tread cautiously.

Tope, while speaking to reporters on May 28, said the positivity rate is still alarming in 21 districts and the guard cannot be lowered. However, in districts where the positivity rate has declined, the norms could be marginally eased, he said, adding that the revised guidelines would be issued by June 1.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

Show