Maharashtra: Overall Covid-19 cases at 29,100, death toll goes up to 1,068
Maharashtra on Friday recorded 1,576 new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive cases, as the overall tally in the state rose to 29,100. Covid-19 related death toll went up to 1,068 after 49 fresh fatalities were recorded.
The state government is in favour of further extension of lockdown restrictions, which expire on Sunday, till end-May, and this time around the curbs are likely to be eased even in red zones a bid to open up economic activities.
State health Rajesh Tope said that a decision to allow economic activities in red zones would be taken after Monday.
Though the state's Covid-19 related mortality rate has dropped to 3.7%, it is still above the national average rate of 3.23%. At present, the state's doubling rate – the number of days taken for cases to increase two-fold -- is a little over 10 days.
Mumbai, which accounts for around 60% of all Covid-19 positive cases in the state, reported 933 new cases on Friday, as the total count rose to 17,671. The city also recorded 34 fresh deaths and 655 people have died in the country's financial hub so far.
Tope has requested Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to reserve 60% of beds in private hospitals for Covid-19 patients while anticipating a peak by end-June. The contingency plans are being put in place in line with the recommendations of the Dr. Sanjay Oak-led task force that the state government has formed to identify ways to reduce the mortality rate. The rest 40% of beds in these private hospitals would be reserved for non-Covid-19 patients, the minister said.
Maharashtra's positivity percentage is at 11.61% after 2,50,436 tests were conducted till Friday, of which 2,21,336 proved negative. Of the 10,291 tests conducted in the 24 hours between Thursday and Friday evening, 1,576 tested positive, or a positivity percentage of 15.31%.
The state authorities have put 3,29,302 and 16,306 under home and institutional quarantine, respectively. So far, 6,564 Covid-19 patients have recovered and discharged from various hospitals in the state.
(Inputs and image from hindustantimes.com)
