Maharashtra records 6,857 new cases; weekly positivity rates falls to 3.80%

Maharashtra’s weekly positivity rate has dropped to 3

Maharashtra’s weekly positivity rate has dropped to 3.8% from last week’s 4.36%, indicating a declining trend of the second Covid-19 wave.

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the positivity rate should remain below 5% for an outbreak to be considered under control.

Maharashtra currently has 10 districts that have positivity rates above the state average of 3.80%. These include Satara (8.03%), Pune (7.23%), Kolhapur (7.18%), Sangli (6.91%), Sindhudurg (6.49 %), Solapur (5.90%), Ahmednagar (4.95%), Beed (4.88%), Raigad (4.70%) and Ratnagiri (3.83%). This means currently just six out of the 10 districts have a positivity rate of more than 5%. Last week, nine of the 10 districts had a positivity rate of more than 5%.

Meanwhile, the state on Wednesday recorded 6,857 new cases with 286 deaths. The state’s Covid tally has reached 6,282,914, while the death toll stands at 132,145.

There were 193,042 tests done on Wednesday and the number of recoveries clocked 6,105. There are currently 82,545 active patients across the state, of which Pune tops with 15,768 patients followed by Thane with 9,587 active patients. Mumbai recorded 403 new cases and 10 deaths, thus bringing its toll to 15,860.

State surveillance officer Dr Pradeep Awate said the weekly average rate of less than 5% itself indicates the waning of the second Covid-19 wave.

“We ramped up medical infrastructure and also started mass vaccination, which played an important role in controlling the virus. However, some districts like Satara, Pune, Kolhapur, Sangli and Sindhudurg are still matters of concern for the state,” said Dr Awate.

Dr Satyendra Nath Mehra, medical director, Masina Hospital, Byculla, said that the pace of vaccination should be increased in these hotspots.

“The government needs to speed up vaccination as well as strictly enforce Covid-appropriate behaviour in these districts,” said Dr Mehra.