People's Laxity May Bring About Third Covid Wave, Says Maharastra Minister

Rajesh Tope told a regional news channel that it was not the crowd on the street that could trigger off a COVID-19 third wave, but "people not wearing masks and not following hygiene".

A possible third wave of the coronavirus infection could take place if people do not follow outbreak norms like maintaining hygiene and wearing masks, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said on Friday. The minister also said there may be as many as 5,000 unreported COVID-19 deaths in the state, and these would be reconciled with the overall tally after all information about them is verified. He told a regional news channel that it was not the crowd on the street that could trigger off a COVID-19 third wave, but "people not wearing masks and not following hygiene". "Nobody can exactly predict a third wave. But by wearing masks and maintaining appropriate behavior, we can postpone its arrival and keep the impact to a minimum," Mr Tope said.