Mumbai, Pune report highest spikes in new infections; BMC rules out lockdown for now; active case tally nudges 2.50 lakh
Maharashtra touched another new high with a single-day surge of 31,855 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, its highest since the pandemic began last year, pushing its active case tally to 2,47,299 — more than 65% of the country’s total active cases.
While Pune continued to maintain the dubious distinction of being the worst-afflicted district in the country and the State, Mumbai city reported more than 5,000 cases — its highest single-day spike recorded till date.
Recoveries constituted less than half the case surge with just 15,098 patients being discharged in the last 24 hours. The State’s recovery rate has now dipped to 88.21%. As many as 95 deaths took the fatality toll to 53,684. While the total case tally has reached 25,64,881, the cumulative recoveries stand at 22,62,593.
“Of a total 1,87,25,307 laboratory samples tested thus far, 25,64,881 (with the case positivity rising to 13.70%) have returned positive with over 1.41 lakh samples being tested in the last 24 hours,” State Surveillance Officer Dr. Pradeep Awate said, adding that the State’s case fatality rate had incrementally dipped to 2.09%.
No Holi celebrations in Pune
Pune district reported its highest-ever surge of 6,600 new cases to take its total case tally to 4,87,966. As per the State Health Department figures, four deaths were reported as the fatality count rose to 8,225. According to district authorities, the active case tally has breached the 44,000 mark while the death toll has crossed 9,600.
In keeping with the alarming spike, district authorities have banned all celebrations for the Holi festival.
Mumbai recorded 5,190 new cases, taking its total tally to 3,74,641 of whom 29,395 are active. Six fatalities took the city’s death toll to 11,610.
Amid fears among citizens of an imminent lockdown, Mumbai civic body officials said that no such move was being mooted as yet.
Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, said: “Currently, there is no talk of a lockdown being planned in Mumbai, as it will merely bring all activities to a grinding halt. Despite the steep rise in cases, we can sustain this spike owing to our available medical infrastructure. We are going to ramp up the city’s bed capacity, scale up testing, and accelerate the vaccination drive.”
Nagpur district in Vidarbha added more than 3,700 cases as its total cases climbed to 2,07,046 of whom 34,016 are active. As per the State Health Department figures, the district reported 29 deaths to take its toll to 3,718.
Cases continued to mount in Aurangabad in Marathwada which registered more than 1,450 new cases to take its total tally to 73,750 of whom 16,175 are active. With five deaths, the fatality toll went up to 1,325.
Nanded in Marathwada, currently under a lockdown, logged more than 1,000 cases and five deaths to take its total case tally to 35,072 of whom 11,038 are active while its death toll has risen to 725.
Lockdown in Beed
Meanwhile, Beed in Marathwada became the latest among districts in Maharashtra to go under a lockdown. The district administration has declared a 10-day lockdown from March 26 to April 4 in the wake of surging cases.
Nashik in north Maharashtra reported more than 1,600 new cases, taking its total tally to 1,55,196 of whom 16,048 are active while nine deaths pushed its fatality toll to 2,152.
Neighbouring Jalgaon recorded nearly 900 fresh cases and a single death, taking its total cases to 76,641 of whom 6,072 are active while its death toll rose to 1,565.
Dr. Awate said that currently, 12,68,094 people across the State were in home quarantine and 13,499 were in institutional quarantine facilities.
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