Maharashtra reported a spike of 5,427 COVID-19 cases on Thursday as the State’s active case tally breached the 40,000 mark to reach 40,858. The total case tally now stands at 20,81,520.
With 38 fatalities, the total death toll has climbed to 51,669. Just 2,543 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the tally of recoveries to 19,85,261. While the recovery rate dipped to 95.5%, the case fatality rate stood at 2.48%.
Amid the surge, Nationalist Congress Party leaders Jayant Patil and Eknath Khadse became the latest politicians in the State to test positive for the virus. While both leaders took to Twitter to say they were “doing fine”, Mr. Patil, the Water Resources Minister, said he would be “undertaking his duties via video-conferencing”. Both leaders have urged people who have come in contact with them over the past few days to self-isolate and get tested.
The surge in cases has set alarm bells ringing in districts in the Vidarbha region, which reported steep spikes in the past fortnight. District administrations in Amravati, Buldhana and Yavatmal imposed restrictions on gatherings, and the Buldhana District Collector issued orders for schools, colleges and private coaching classes to remain shut till February 28. Weekly markets in Buldhana will remain closed after 4 p.m. and only 50 people will be allowed to attend religious processions and functions, including weddings.
Pune reported more than 850 new cases to take its total case tally to 3,97,402. A single death took the death toll to 8,019. As per district authorities, the active case tally rose to 5,294, with a recovery rate of 96.36%.
736 cases in Mumbai
Mumbai reported a consecutive surge of more than 700 cases. With 736 new cases pushed its total case tally to 3,16,487, of which 4,782 are active. Four fatalities saw the city’s death toll reach 11,432.
Nagpur district in Vidarbha reported nearly 700 new cases, taking the district’s total case tally to 1,42,585, of which 5,466 are currently active. Eleven deaths saw the total death toll rise to 3,450.
Amravati reported a consecutive second-day surge of more than 700 cases, taking its total tally to 27,874, of which 4,020 are active. No deaths were reported as its toll stayed constant at 419. Yavatmal reported 131 cases, taking its total to 16,682, of which 692 are active. No deaths were reported as the death toll stayed at 465.
Buldhana reported 144 fresh cases but no deaths. Its case tally stands at 16,152, of which 1,093 are active, while the toll remains at 254.
In western Maharashtra, Satara reported no deaths, while 87 fresh cases saw the total case tally rise to 57,726, of which just 868 are active. Its death toll stands at 1,833.
Sangli reported just 18 cases as the district’s reported cases reached 51,122, of which only 492 are active. Its death toll stands at 1,789.
Kolhapur reported 18 cases as well as its total case tally reached 49,418, of which just 180 are active. The total death toll stands at 1,674.
“Of 1,55,21,198 laboratory samples tested thus far, 20,81,520 (with the case positivity rate down to 13.41%) have returned positive, with over 66,000 samples being tested in the last 24 hours,” said State Surveillance Officer Dr. Pradeep Awate.
A total of 2,16,908 people across the State are in home quarantine and 1,743 are in institutional quarantine facilities.
