In its second-highest single-day case spike since the pandemic began in March, Maharashtra on Friday reported 25,681 new COVID-19 cases as its active case tally climbed to 1,77,560.
A total of 14,400 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours with the State’s recovery rate dipping to 90.42%. As many as 70 deaths were recorded (of whom 43 were reported in the last 48 hours and the rest from an earlier period), which pushed the fatality toll to 53,208.
While the total case tally has reached 24,22,021, the cumulative recoveries stand at 21,85,965.
“Of a total 1,80,83,977 laboratory samples tested thus far, 24,22,021 (with the case positivity rising to 13.39%) have returned positive with over 1.27 lakh samples being tested in the last 24 hours,” State Surveillance Officer Dr. Pradeep Awate said, adding that the State’s case fatality had incrementally come down to 2.20%.
Pune district reported another staggering surge of over 5,100 new cases to take its total case tally to 4,60,114. As per the State Health Department figures, six deaths were reported as the fatality count rose to 8,167. As per district authorities, the active case tally has now crossed the 30,000 mark while the death toll has surpassed 9,480.
With Pune district reporting the highest daily case surge in the State, the administration has decided to restart four hitherto closed COVID-19 care centres.
While appealing to citizens to not believe in rumours of a lockdown, Pune zilla parishad chief executive officer Ayush Prasad said that the heightened spike in the district must also be viewed in the context of the vastly ramped up sample testing currently under way.
“At least 20,000-25,000 samples are being tested daily across Pune district,” Mr. Prasad said.
Mumbai city, too, reported a massive surge of 3,063 new cases, taking its total tally to 3,55,914 of whom 18,850 are active. Ten fatalities took the city’s death toll to 11,569.
Nagpur district in Vidarbha added more than 3,200 cases as its total cases went up to 1,89,150 of whom 25,861 are active. With five deaths, its fatality toll has reached 3,626.
Vidarbha continued to remain a virus hotbed with Akola, Yavatmal, Buldhana and Amravati districts each logging an average 500 new cases.
Amravati registered nearly 450 cases and six deaths to take its total case tally to 45,329 of whom 3,454 are active while its death toll has risen to 595.
Akola added more than 600 cases and a single death as its total cases climbed to 22,822 of whom 4,507 are active while the death toll has touched 408.
Cases continued to pile in Aurangabad in Marathwada which reported more than 1,800 new cases to take its total tally to 65,892 of whom 11,524 are active. With a single death, the fatality toll reached 1,312.
Nashik in north Maharashtra recorded nearly 1,500 new cases, taking its total case tally to 1,45,992 of whom 11,867 are active while four deaths pushed its death count to 2,112.
In western Maharashtra, Satara registered 125 new cases and five fatalities as the total cases rose to 61,731 of whom 1,673 are active, while the death toll has gone up to 1,866.
Cases in Sangli and Kolhapur remained relatively low, with the former adding more than 70 and the latter recording more than 50 new cases.
Dr. Awate said that currently, 8,67,333 people across the State were in home quarantine and 7,848 were in institutional quarantine facilities.
