On Sunday, Maharashtra reported fewer than 50,000 COVID-19 cases and below 600 deaths. The state registered 48,401 new cases, which is the lowest figure in 5 days and 572 COVID-related deaths, the lowest in 6 days.

The total caseload has touched 51,01,737 and the death count is 75,849. There was also a marginal drop in testing during the weekend as compared to the week’s average. Mumbai saw its lowest case count in 52 days with 2,395 new cases taking the total count to 6,75,630 cases. The last time Mumbai had fewer than 2,395 cases was on 17th March (2,377 cases).

But it continued to have a high number of COVID-related deaths. Almost 68 people succumbed to COVID-19, taking the death count to 13,781. 21 deaths were in the age group of 40 - 60 years. The cumulative fatality rate of Maharashtra is 1.48%, whereas Mumbai is 2.03%.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray along with the members of the COVID task force had an online meeting with approximately 700 private practitioners from the city. They discussed the ways to manage the disease in a better way of the anticipated third wave. The chief minister is also planning similar meetings with doctors throughout the state.

Thackeray has appealed to private clinic doctors to take more care of patients who are visiting with minor or major ailments. They should inform the local authority if any patient was found in a serious condition.

The active COVID-19 cases in the state saw a marginal dip to 6,15,783, and in Mumbai to 51,165. In Mumbai, hospital heads said that beds have started to become available now. Approximately 200 ICU beds along with 155 in private hospitals were available on Sunday. 

Dr Neelam Andrade, who is the Dean of Nesco jumbo COVID facility in Goregaon, said that their patient load has dropped to 971 from 1,400 since a week ago.

In addition to Mumbai, even the Mumbai Metropolitan Region has registered a decline in coronavirus cases, however deaths are still high. Pune recorded 11,807 new cases, more than MMR’s 6,985 cases, but it managed to control the deaths to 59 as compared to MMR’s death toll of 157. Out of MMR’s total deaths, 68 deaths were in Mumbai and 50 deaths in Kalyan-Dombivli. Nashik city reported 38 deaths and Nagpur also reported 34 deaths.

According to the state official, discharges were increasing. More than 60,000 discharges were done in the state and 3,375 in Mumbai in the last 24 hours, taking the total recoveries to 44.07 lakh and 6.13 lakh, respectively.

Source: ET Healthworld