The number of COVID-19 positive cases surged to 490, with 67 new cases being reported across Maharashtra on Friday, and the official death toll rose by six to touch 26 so far.
While two deaths were reported from Mumbai, one was reported from Vasai-Virar, one from Badlapur, and one each from Pune and Jalgaon districts.
The man from Vasai-Virar and woman from Badlapur, were both diabetic. While the 68-year-old man had a relative who had travelled to the U.S., the woman had no travel history. State officials said that the woman also had a spine fracture and brain haemorrhage for which she was hospitalised.
The Mumbai deaths include a 65-year-old man admitted at Jogeshwari’s HBT Trauma Care Hospital and a 62-year-old man admitted to Rajawadi Hospital.
Pune had recorded its second death on Thursday after a 50-year-old woman, who had tested positive, died of pneumonia at Sassoon Hospital.
Medical authorities said that the lady, who was admitted on April 1, had already been showing signs of severe pneumonia. When her throat swab samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) for testing, she tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Officials said the lady, a resident of Raviwar Peth area, had no history of foreign travel and had no other health-related issues. The Jalgaon victim, who was 63 years old had high blood pressure and was diabetic. He contracted the virus earlier this week and died on April 2.
Of the 67 new cases reported over a 24-hour span, Mumbai once again saw a significant spike, reporting 43 new positive patients to take the city’s total to 278. Eight new cases were reported from Navi Mumbai and one confirmed case each from Palghar and Kalyan.
State Surveillance Officer Dr. Pradeep Awate said that seven people, who were part of the Tabhligi Jamaat conclave in Delhi had tested positive so far, while 738 of the 1,033 persons who had been traced so far, had been placed under isolation.
“As of today, 595 people are admitted in hospitals across the State after showing virus-like symptoms. Till date, 3,072 people have been placed under institutional quarantine while more than 38,300 are under home quarantine,” he said.
Pune district reported nine new cases, taking the tally to 70, while Ahmednagar reported three additional cases to take the district tally to 20. Washim and Ratnagiri districts, so far unaffected, reported a positive case each. In Ratnagiri, a man who had attended the Jamaat tested positive.
With these fresh cases, the tally for the Pune Division has risen to 100, with 57 cases in Pune city, 14 from Pimpri-Chinchwad, 25 from Sangli district, three from Satara and two from Kolhapur, said Pune Divisional Commissioner Dr. Deepak Mhaisekar.
Stating that none of the new Pune cases were from attendees of the Delhi congregation, Pune District Collector Naval Kishore Ram said they were contacts of previously diagnosed cases.
Meanwhile, Pune rural police have filed an FIR under Section 188 of the IPC against 10 people for flouting ‘home quarantine to flee from their residence in Shirur. They are being traced. Dr. Mhaisekar clarified that all 10 had come from Delhi to Shirur in late February but were not connected with the Tablighi Jamaat event. They had been quarantined as a precautionary measure.
