At least 13 new deaths due to Covid-19 were reported from the State as Maharashtra saw a massive spike of 113 new cases — its largest single-day surge yet — with the total positive cases across the State soaring to 748 and the cumulative death toll rising to 45 on Sunday.
Eight of these deaths were reported from Mumbai alone, while three were reported from Pune and one each from Kalyan-Dombivli and Aurangabad district in the State’s Marathwada region. None of the 13 deceased persons had any history of international, or in most cases, even domestic travel, barring the case of a 55-year-old taxi driver who died in Chembur Saturday as he used to frequent the airport to pick-up and drop passengers.
COVID-19 | Interactive map of confirmed coronavirus cases in India
More than 50% of the deaths and the total positive cases are from Mumbai alone, with the city exceeding the 400-mark to touch 458 cases, while recording 30 deaths till now. 56 persons had so far been discharged after recovering from the virus, said State health officials.
Pune district witnessed a sharp surge in the number of Covid-19 positive cases with 21 new cases, exceeding 100 in number.
Of these, at least four new cases are from Pimpri-Chinchwad and said to be contacts of the two cases returned from the Nizamuddin Tablighi Jamaat congregation held last month.
The Marathwada region reported its first death after a 52-year-old bank official who tested positive succumbed during treatment at the district’s Government Medical College. He was believed to be diabetic and suffering from high blood pressure.
Also read: Coronavirus | State tally surges over 26% to cross 423 cases
The district also recorded four fresh cases, among them of two minors, taking its total tally to five.
Authorities said more than 250 persons from the eight districts in the Marathwada region including Aurangabad were believed to have participated in Delhi’s Tablighi Jamaat event last month.
Ahmednagar district, where a couple of foreigners who had attended the Delhi Tablighi Jamaat congregation had tested positive, saw a further rise in four cases, taking the district’s tally to 17.
Meanwhile, three persons from Buldhana district (in Amravati division) who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat conclave have also tested positive for the virus, said officials, taking the number of cases in the district to eight.
Buldhana district authorities said that the three persons hailed from the district’s Khamgaon, Deulgaon Raja and Chikhli areas.
Since March 5, the samples of 83 persons from Buldhana district have been sent for testing to the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH) in Nagpur, from which the results of 63 samples had been received thus far.
Of these 63, eight persons had tested positive so far.
Also read: Coronavirus: Highest 24-hour surge in Maharashtra; tally touches 302
In another development, at least 25 persons from three families in Jalna’s Ambad tehsil have been placed in isolation facilities after it transpired that these persons had come into contact with three Covid-19 positive cases from Latur who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat conclave.
According to authorities, these families who are residents of Shahgad in Ambad, were immediately transported in ambulances and admitted to the civil hospital in Jalna where they have been placed under isolation.
