Maharashtra records 24,136 new Covid-19 cases, 601 deaths

Maharashtra on Tuesday recorded 24,136 new Covid-19 cases and 601 deaths

Maharashtra on Tuesday recorded 24,136 new Covid-19 cases and 601 deaths. The total number of tests conducted on Tuesday were 264,275. The total number of people affected by Covid-19 to date stands at 56,26,155.

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There are currently 3,14,368 active patients across the state, of which, Pune tops with 45,648 patients, followed by Mumbai with 27,855 active patients. The death toll has now reached 90,349, with Mumbai leading with 14,650 deaths, followed by Pune with 11,747 deaths.

Meanwhile, the state government has banned home isolation in 18 districts that have a high number of patients. All the Covid-19 patients—both symptomatic as well as asymptomatic will have to be shifted to Covid care centres (CCC) in these districts.

These 18 districts are Thane, Pune, Satara, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Osmanabad. Beed, Raigad, Hingoli, Akola, Amravati, Kolhapur, Sangli, Gadchiroli, Wardha, Nashik, Ahmednagar and Latur.

State health minister Rajesh Tope, who addressed the media after the meeting with collectors and commissioners of these 18 districts, said that monitoring home quarantine patients has become an issue.

“There will be no more home isolations in these 18 districts where the positivity rate is higher than the state average. We have seen that proper treatment not been given to patients in home isolation. Hence, the patients will be shifted to Covid care centres (CCC). We are increasing the number of CCC across the state, especially in smaller villages,” said Tope.

He said the government has instructed the officials to undertake focussed testing. “We have instructed all officials, especially, in 18 districts, that they should indulge in right testing of high-risk contacts and low-risk contacts. The aim should not be to undertake generalised testing and bring down the positivity rate,” said Tope.

However, many have criticised the move and said it will discourage people from testing and burden the inadequate health infrastructure.

Dr Wiqar Shaikh, professor of medicine, Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Hospital described it as an ill-advised move. “There is no point in asking asymptomatic or those having mild or no symptoms to be admitted to the CCC. The government is burdening the already stressed infrastructure in these places. These patients be better treated at home,” said Shaikh.

“In rural areas, Covid-19 is treated as stigma, and after banning home isolation, the situation will become worse, as no one will come for testing. People will rely on simple medicines or turn to quacks for treatment,” warned Shaikh.

The Maharashtra rural development ministry would make available Arsenic-30 homoeopathic tablets to the villages and also give an insurance coverage of ₹50,00,000 to any employee who dies of the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, any gram panchayat will get a 30-bed isolation centre if demanded by them.