Maharashtra’s recoveries barely outpaced its case surge with just 5,860 patients being discharged on Thursday as opposed to 5,535 new COVID-19 cases.
Pune district and Mumbai city, which had been reporting low case surges for some weeks, saw a noticeable rise in fresh cases post-Deepavali.
The cumulative recoveries have risen to 16,35,971 with the State’s recovery incrementally increasing to 92.79%. The total case tally stands at 17,63,055 while the active cases have come down to 79,738. With 154 deaths, the fatality toll has climbed to 46,356.
“Of a total 99,65,119 laboratory samples tested thus far, 17,63,055 (case positivity rate of 17.69%) have returned positive with nearly 65,000 samples being tested in the last 24 hours,” State Surveillance Officer Dr. Pradeep Awate said, adding that the case fatality rate currently stood at 2.63%.
Pune district reported an alarming spike of 789 new cases to take its total tally to 3,44,002 while 11 deaths saw its toll climb to 7,206. As per Pune district administration figures, the active cases have shot up as compared with Wednesday’s figure, rising to 9,349 while its recovery rate has come down to 94.75%.
The higher-than-usual case spike reported in the district during the last 48 hours has caused a tremor of alarm among district administration authorities fearful of a possible second wave of the virus post-Deepavali festivities.
However, speaking to The Hindu , Pune district Collector Rajesh Deshmukh quashed any immediate cause for concern, stating that the district’s medical infrastructure and manpower in hospitals was more than adequate to cope with any crisis.
“Furthermore, Pune’s sample testing has been drastically increased to 8,000 per day,” he said.
An advisory issued by the State Directorate of Health Services last week, which predicted a possible second wave of the pandemic in January-February next year, has asked authorities to increase testing capabilities. It has further directed authorities to identify potential ‘super-spreaders’ which include grocers, labourers, security guards in housing societies, police personnel, and home guards.
The circular has also instructed authorities to keep up the survey of people with influenza-like illnesses, while ensuring that house-to-house surveys and contact-tracing processes be carried on a war-footing with emphasis on the screening of a co-morbid population.
Along with Pune, Mumbai city, too, reported a heightened post-festivity spike of 924 cases to take its total tally to 2,72,455 of whom 11,694 are active. As many as 12 fatalities saw the city’s death toll rise to 10,627.
Nagpur district in Vidarbha reported 369 new cases, taking the district’s total tally to 1,09,631 of whom just 2,619 are active. Seven deaths saw the fatality toll reach 2,896.
There was a discernible rise in cases and fatalities in Satara in western Maharashtra as well, with the district reporting 12 deaths to take its death toll to 1,578. As many as 218 fresh cases saw the total tally rise to 50,683 of whom 2,432 are active.
Neighbouring Sangli, however, reported just 49 cases and two deaths as the district’s reported cases reached 48,018 of whom 1,164 are active. Its death toll has risen to 1,711.
Kolhapur recorded an even lower surge of barely 18 cases and two deaths as its total tally reached 48,275. Its active cases stand at 368. The total death toll reached 1,667.
In north Maharashtra, Nashik district reported 234 cases as its total tally reached 101,413 of whom only 2,512 are active. With eight deaths, the district’s death toll has touched 1,665.
Neighbouring Jalgaon reported just 76 cases and three deaths as its total case tally reached 54,389 of whom only 955 are active, while its death toll stood at 1,378.
In the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Thane reported 272 cases as its total case tally crossed the 84,000-mark. With 13 deaths, the fatality toll climbed to 2,100.
Dr. Awate said that 5,60,868 people across the State were in home quarantine and 4,284 were in institutional quarantine facilities.
