Maha's Covid-19 tally grows by 4,666, death toll by 131

Mumbai: Maharashtra on Sunday reported 4,666 new coronavirus positive cases, which increased its tally to 64,56,939, while 131 deaths pushed the toll to 1,37,157, the health department said.

A total of 3,510 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, which took the state's recovery count to 62,63,416.

Maharashtra's recovery rate is 97 per cent and fatality rate is 2.12 per cent. There are 52,844 active cases at present.

So far, 2,03,210 tests have been carried out in the state for COVID-19 detection, which took the overall test count to 5,36,59,613.

Jalna, Akola, Yavatmal, Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, Gondia districts and Parbhani city did not report a single infection case on Sunday, while there was no death due to the virus in Nagpur and Akola divisions of Vidarbha region during the day, the department said.

Mumbai city reported 345 new cases and two deaths. With this, the caseload in the city went up to 7,43,499 and death toll to 15,974 deaths.

Mumbai region saw 845 cases and 11 deaths during the day, which took its overall tally to 16,62,394 and 34,976 deaths.

Nashik division reported 828 cases, including 716 in Ahmednagar district, while Pune division reported 1,908 cases, including 406 in Satara, 505 in Solapur, 579 in Pune district.

Kolhapur division logged 815 cases, including 419 in Sangli district, Aurangabad division 58 cases, Latur division 174 cases, Akola division 28 cases and Nagpur division reported 10 fresh cases.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday accused the Centre of issuing directives detailing restrictions on upcoming festivals like Dahi Handi and Ganpati Utsav to states amid the COVID-19 pandemic while allowing the BJP's 'Jan Ashirvad Yatra' to take place.

He also said that Kerala, which recently celebrated a festival in a grand way, was now the top state in the country in terms of daily coronavirus detection.

"Since festivals like Dahi Handi, Ganpati Utsav, Navratri and Diwali are coming up, the Centre has advised states that there should be no crowding. The Centre has done its part, and now the state will do its part," he said.

However, Pawar said, the Union government, on the other hand, had allowed four Union ministers to hold Jan Ashirvad Yatras in Maharashtra.

"We will see the effect (in terms of COVID-19 cases) in the places where these yatras were held. In case the tally goes up, the Centre should ponder on who is responsible for it," the NCP leader said.

Earlier, in a letter to the Maharashtra chief secretary, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had said the trajectory of daily new cases had shown a decline over the last month but some districts in the state were showing early signs of an upsurge in infection count and positivity.

In his letter, Bhushan said the Union Home ministry had issued directions under the Disaster Management Act on focused containment measures.

"In light of this order, and in view of mass events and public gatherings expected during the celebration of upcoming festivals (including Dahi Handi and Ganpati Utsav) in Maharashtra, it is advised that the state may consider imposing and enforcing local restrictions in public observation of these festivals and mass gatherings," Bhushan had said in the letter.