Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said the state government was keeping a close watch on the COVID-19 situation, and the health department has been asked to take necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of his visit to Sassoon General Hospital here, Pawar said that though the JN.1 variant of coronavirus is not very serious, people are advised to use masks.

"The health department on Thursday apprised Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of the (COVID-19) situation. We are taking reports about the cases every day. Civil surgeons and health departments in the state have been issued instructions to undertake precautionary measures to ensure that the number of positive cases does not rise," the deputy chief minister said. He also urged people to cooperate by following COVID-appropriate behaviour.

"Though the present variant of COVID-19 is not very serious, and one can recover by being in isolation, people are requested to use masks," Pawar said.?
Maharashtra on Thursday recorded 171 coronavirus positive cases and two deaths - one each in Solapur and Kolhapur. Mumbai logged 32 cases, followed by 16 each in Thane city and Navi Mumbai, the health department's bulletin said.

There are now 914 active cases in the state, while the tally of those infected with JN.1 variant stands at 110, it said.