Maharashtra has so far received 9.83 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccines — 9.63 lakh vials of Serum Institute of India’s Covishield and 20,000 vials of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin — as against the requirement of 17.50 lakh doses in the first phase of inoculation, State Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Wednesday. He further said that the Centre had asked the State to reduce the number of inoculation centres from 511 to 350.
“Maharashtra’s vaccine requirement is 17.50 lakh vials in the first phase. We need more vials taking into account the 10% wastage that is expected,” Mr. Tope said in Mumbai.
As the doses have to be administered twice to a person within a four-week gap, Mr. Tope said that around 55% of the nearly eight lakh health workers registered would be undergoing vaccination as of now. He said that going by the Centre’s directive to reduce the number of inoculation centres to 350, the State would be able to vaccinate around 35,000 health workers on the first day of the vaccination on January 16 if 100 persons were administered doses in every centre.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s cases marginally outpaced the recoveries on Wednesday, with 3,556 new COVID-19 cases reported as opposed to 3,009 patients being discharged. The active case tally again rose incrementally to 52,365. The total case tally has now reached 19,78,044. As many as 70 fatalities saw the death toll climb to 50,221. The cumulative recoveries stand at 18,74,279 while the State’s recovery rate is 94.75%.
“Of a total 1,35,62,194 laboratory samples tested thus far, 19,78,044 (with the case positivity rate down to 14.58%) have returned positive with over 62,000 samples being tested in the last 24 hours,” State Surveillance Officer Dr. Pradeep Awate said, adding that the case fatality stood at 2.54%.
Pune reported nearly 700 new cases to take its total case tally to 3,80,068. Eight deaths saw the toll rise to 7,837. As per the district administration figures, the active cases stand at 5,410 while the recovery rate is 96.15%.
Mumbai city recorded 675 fresh cases to take its total tally to 3,00,474 of whom just 7,527 are active. As many as 12 fatalities pushed the city’s death count to 11,212.
Nagpur district in Vidarbha registered more than 350 new infections, taking the district’s total cases to 1,30,686 of whom 5,105 are active. Five deaths saw the toll reach 3,277.
In western Maharashtra, Satara logged two deaths as its toll touched 1,794 while 24 fresh cases saw the total tally rise to 55,353 of whom only 763 are active.
Neighbouring Sangli added 21 cases and three deaths as the district’s reported cases reached 50,497 of whom 445 are active. Its death toll stands at 1,774.
Kolhapur reported a mere 15 cases and a single fatality as its total case tally went up to 48,905 of whom 137 are active. The death count climbed to 1,664.
In north Maharashtra, Nashik district recorded 185 cases and a single death as its total tally touched 1,18,306 of whom just 1,464 are active. Its fatality toll stands at 1,951.
Jalgaon reported 46 new cases and no deaths as its total cases reached 56,804 of whom only 627 are active, while its death toll remains at 1,465.
Dr. Awate said that currently, 2,26,599 people across the State were in home quarantine and 2,496 were in institutional quarantine facilities.
