Coronavirus | Maharashtra COVID-19 tally shoots up to 1,982

State accounts for nearly 50% of national death toll

A doctor checking residents in the COVID-19 containment zones of Dharavi, Mumbai on Sunday.

Maharashtra continued to reel under the onslaught of the novel coronavirus as more than 22 persons succumbed to the contagion while as many as 221 persons — a record high — tested positive on Sunday as the State’s cumulative tally of Covid-19 positive cases soared to 1,982 and its death toll went up to 149.

Of these, 16 deaths were from Mumbai, while Pune reported three deaths, taking its death toll to 30.

Solapur district, which had hitherto remained unscathed, reported its first death, causing parts of the district to be sealed off.

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“Twenty out of these 22 patients (91%) had high-risk co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma and heart disease,” said State Surveillance Officer Dr. Pradeep Awate.

Mumbai alone

More than 150 of the 221 fresh cases were reported from Mumbai alone, with the metropolis’ tally escalating to 1,298.

Of the total of 149 deaths from Maharashtra, 92 have been reported from Mumbai alone, with the city accounting for nearly a third of the total coronavirus deaths in India, and the State accounting for nearly 50% of the country’s death toll.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (excluding Mumbai city) witnessed an alarming surge as well, with Thane reporting 15 new cases, Navi Mumbai reporting nine new cases, Kalyan Dombivli reporting 11 new cases, and six more cases were reported from Mira-Bhayander.

In Pune, the number of positive cases continued to mount steadily with 15 new cases being reported from the district, taking the total tally to 282, and Pune city reporting 240 of these cases.

Malegaon ‘hotspot’

Malegaon in Nashik is emerging as a virus hotspot in north Maharashtra after some persons believed to have been a part of the Nizamuddin Tablighi Jamaat conclave tested positive, sending shock waves across the city and leading to widespread panic.

The Malegaon Municipal Corporation has till now reported 15 cases and two deaths.

Health officials said that a thorough search of citizens who had attended the religious gathering at Delhi’s Nizamuddin in early March was underway in all districts and municipal corporations.

“Of these, 755 have been tested and 37 have been found to be positive for the coronavirus. Out of these 37, eight are from Latur, seven from Yavatmal, six in Buldhana, three in Mumbai, and two each in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Ahmednagar, while others are in Nagpur, Ratnagiri, Hingoli, Ahmednagar. Additionally, six contacts of these cases have been found positive in Ahmednagar district, and one contact has been found positive in Pimpri-Chinchwad,” said Dr. Awate.

Till date, 217 patients in the State have been discharged following full recovery, while 61,247 people are in home quarantine and 5,064 people have been placed in institutional quarantine facilities.