Maharashtra: State records 6,603 fresh cases, total at 2.23 lakh

Health officials in Directorate of Health Services (DHS) predict that Maharashtra will have at least 1.5 lakh active infections by July-end. (Representational)

Maharashtra recorded 6,603 new Covid-19 cases, of them 1,374 in Mumbai and 1,049 in Pune city, on Wednesday. The two cities are the only ones recording over 1,000 Covid-19 cases in the state. Maharashtra now has 2.23 lakh cases, of which 91,065 are actively infected. With 198 deaths registered on Wednesday, the toll in the state stands at 9,448.

Mumbai’s case count stands at 87,856. With 62 deaths, total fatalities in the city rose to 5,064. Mumbai is recording doubling in case load in 45 days and has an overall growth rate of 1.54 per cent in cases since July 1. BMC officials said 897 suspected cases of coronavirus were admitted in various centres on Wednesday.

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Meanwhile, the Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday expressed concern over the recent spurt in Covid-19 cases in Mumbai’s neighbouring district, Thane, and some other Tier-2 cities. Since the easing of lockdown curbs on June 3, Thane district has seen a quantum jump in cases from 10,865 to 52,733. On Wednesday, the district added 1,904 cases to its tall0.

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Health officials in Directorate of Health Services (DHS) predict that Maharashtra will have at least 1.5 lakh active infections by July-end.

Mumbai’s health infrastructure has improved tremendously for those severely hit by the virus over the last three weeks. BMC data showed there were only 20 ICUs available out of 1,181 capacity, and 23 ventilators available out of 530 ventilator beds on June 13. As on July 7, 242 ICUs and 137 ventilators were available for patients. The ventilator capacity has been doubled from 530 to 1,051 in three weeks in the city, and ICU capacity increased by 46 per cent.

Across the city, more than 10,000 beds are vacant for Covid-19 patients. The city currently has 23,543 actively infected patients. Of them 1,049 are critical patients.

Mumbai accounted for only 31 per cent of fresh deaths on Wednesday, as opposed to 58.7 per cent a month ago on June 8. The city’s share in Covid burden is gradually reducing. Mumbai has 87,856 Covid-19 cases accounting for 39.3 per cent of the state’s case load. Mumbai’s recovery rate at 67 per cent is higher than the state’s at 55 per cent.

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As Mumbai’s bed infrastructure situation improves, it is gearing up for more testing.

The state recorded 198 deaths due to coronavirus, taking the toll to 9,449. In a week, Maharashtra is expected to cross 10,000 mark in deaths. Of the 198, 62 happened in Mumbai, 28 in Thane, and 27 in Pune. Districts like Navi Mumbai, Solapur, Jalgaon, Palghar and Aurangabad are fast recording a spike in Covid-19 deaths too. Till Wednesday Navi Mumbai corporation had 253 deaths, Jalgaon 255, Solapur 321, Aurangabad 314. After Mumbai, Pune and Thane these districts are showing maximum toll.

In Mumbai, there are 744 containment zones and 6,655 sealed buildings.

During the cabinet meeting, senior ministers across party lines pressed the administration to undertake urgent measures to tackle spike in cases. Thane’s guardian minister Eknath Shinde raised the issue. It was decided to press for the creation of jumbo isolation facilities on the lines of the ones created in Mumbai. The cabinet also decided to augment the critical care bed availability in Thane district. A decision to procure Remdesivir and other medicines at the Collector level was also taken.

BMC ramps up testing from 4,000 to 5,500 per day

The BMC on Wednesday said it has, so far, conducted 3.64 lakh Covid-19 tests and had ramped up testing from 4,000 to 5,500 a day. Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis had alleged that the BMC had reduced testing due to which the number of registered cases in Mumbai had dipped.

“From July 3 with the use of antigen testing, the daily average tests have gone up to 5,500. The BMC is neither reducing the number of tests nor hiding the total number of tests conducted,” read a release issued by the BMC.

The civic body has recently purchased antigen testing kits and started using it from July 3. Also, the BMC has now made its testing guidelines more liberal, under which anyone can get tested without doctor’s prescription.