In Maharashtra, slow decline in cases and positivity rate over past two weeks

Since September 18, when there were 3,00,887 active cases, there has been an increasing decline in the figure. As on September 27, Maharashtra has 2,73,228 active cases.

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Ratnagiri, Raigad and Palghar have a high positivity rate. In Ratnagiri, Civil Surgeon Dr Ashok Bolde said 50 per cent of people have tested positive.

Over the last two weeks, a gradual decline in daily new cases of Covid-19 and the positivity rate has been witnessed in Maharashtra. Last week, the state had recorded 1.3 lakh new Covid-19 cases – a 12.7 per cent drop from the week before.

State Health Secretary Dr Pradeep Vyas said while this is a positive sign, the trend has to hold for a few days more for definite conclusions to be drawn. Maharashtra contributes 22 per cent of India’s Covid-19 load. A rise or fall in cases directly impacts India’s Covid-19 figures.

Since September 18, when there were 3,00,887 active cases, there has been an increasing decline in the figure. As on September 27, Maharashtra has 2,73,228 active cases.

An analysis by the state government shows a slight decline in the number of active Covid-19 cases over the past fortnight. Pune, Mumbai, Satara, Sangli, Ratnagiri and Raigad are among the 17 districts that have shown a drop in the number of active cases from September 12, said state Epidemiologist Dr Pradip Awate.

Dr Shashank Joshi, member of the Maharashtra task force on Covid-19, told The Indian Express: “The state has increased the number of tests being conducted and for the first time, there are signs that we may just bend the curve.”

Washim, Yavatmal, Bhandara, Parbhani, Beed, Dhule, Nandurbar, Ahmednagar and Jalgaon are among other districts where the number of active cases have declined. Also, week-wise data compiled by the state public health department shows that the positivity rate has declined over the last two weeks even as the number of tests being conducted has risen from 60,000 to 80,000 a fortnight ago to around 90,000 to a lakh now. The state recorded a positivity rate – total positive cases against the total number of tests conducted – of 24.2 per cent from September 14 to September 20, which decreased to 18.84 per cent from September 21 to 27. The positivity rate came down from 25.3 per cent on Septe-mber 14 to 23.9 on September 20 and to 21.2 on September 26.

Awate said the decline suggests that a large population in the state may have been exposed to Covid-19. “We are noticing both, a definite trend of reduction in cases and in positivity rate, but we need to observe this for four weeks to draw solid conclusions,” he said.

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“While reduction is a good sign, we have miles to go. We still have a few districts where positivity rate is high. People need to continue wearing masks,” Vyas said.

Ratnagiri, Raigad and Palghar have a high positivity rate. In Ratnagiri, Civil Surgeon Dr Ashok Bolde said 50 per cent of people have tested positive. “It could be due to targeted testing or only symptomatic people are getting tested,” he said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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