Maharashtra's biggest festival, Ganpati Mahotsav/Ganesh Utsav began yesterday with less pomp and vigour due to Covid curbs. Large-scale celebrations have been put to a halt for the second time in a row because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In Mumbai, Section 144 has been imposed till September 19. Other states have extended Covid-restriction till September 30. India's southern-most state Kerala has continued to see a spike in its Covid-19 caseload.
Yesterday, the state reported 25,010 new Covid cases and 177 deaths. The state's positivity rate stands highest at 16.53% in the country.
As a result, the state's Chief Minister said it would try to complete the first dose of vaccination to all eligible adults by end of September to mitigate