Maharashtra directs local authorities to monitor Covid-19 situation

The highest number of cases in the state was reported in Mumbai at 73, followed by 15 in Pune municipal corporation jurisdiction.

Mumbai: As daily Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra surged in the past week, authorities have said that they are monitoring the situation closely. Maharashtra reported 144 fresh cases and two deaths on Sunday, taking the caseload to 78,76,841 and the toll to 77,28,091. On Sunday, Mumbai reported 73 Covid-19 cases and zero deaths.

The state also directed all local authorities to speed up vaccination of the eligible population on priority, including booster doses for those eligible. (Sunil Ghosh /HT PHOTO)

The highest number of cases in the state was reported in Mumbai at 73, followed by 15 in Pune municipal corporation jurisdiction.

Dr Pradeep Vyas, additional chief secretary of the state public health department, said, “We are on alert and are monitoring the situation.”

In view of surging cases, the public health department on Thursday issued directives to all municipal commissioners and collectors for monitoring the situation.

In a letter to local authorities on April 21, Vyas directed them to monitor clusters of Covid-19 patients or cases with atypical representation. He said that all such samples be sent for genome sequencing.

The state also directed all local authorities to speed up vaccination of the eligible population on priority, including booster doses for those eligible.

Maharashtra presently has 916 active Covid-19 cases. The two deaths that were reported in the state on Sunday were from the Pune municipal corporation area. The case fatality rate in the state is 1.87%. In the 24 hours until Sunday, 27,094 tests were conducted in the state, and the test positivity rate stands at 0.53%.

Meanwhile, Mumbai reported 73 Covid-19 cases and zero deaths on Sunday. Of the 73 patients, 71 are asymptomatic, and two needed hospitalisation, but none of them needed oxygen beds. In the 24 hours till Sunday, 10,496 tests were conducted in Mumbai with a test positivity rate of 0.69%.