Maharashtra reports record 773 Covid-19 deaths, 66,836 cases

The Maharashtra government has imposed stringent regulations to curb the spread of the Covid-19 disease across the state.

Maharashtra on Friday reported 773 deaths due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), in the highest-ever daily spike, and 66,836 cases, according to the health department’s bulletin, which have pushed the tally to 41,61,676 in the state, which is under strict restrictions to stop the transmission of the infections. Maharashtra currently has 691,851 active cases of the coronavirus disease, the highest in the country, and 74,045 patients recovered from the Covid-19, according to the bulletin. There were 67,013 Covid-19 cases and 568 people succumbed to the viral disease on Thursday in the state, which is the worst-hit by the pandemic. Maharashtra so far has reported 41,61,676 cases and 63,252 deaths due to the coronavirus disease, the bulletin showed.

The latest curbs came after several ministers demanded a total lockdown for 15 days to curb the rising Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)

Maharashtra’s capital city of Mumbai recorded 7199 Covid-19 cases and 72 deaths after registering 7367 infections and 75 fatalities a day before, the bulletin also showed. The new infections and fatalities have taken Mumbai's tally to 616,279 and its death toll to 12,655, according to data.

Maharashtra's Covid-19 recovery rate is at 81.81 per cent and its fatality rate 1.52 per cent, according to official data. The state's positivity rate is 16.53 per cent, it also showed.

During a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray demanded additional medical oxygen for the state, adequate supply of vaccines and permission to import Remdesivir to tackle the surge in Covid-19 cases. Thackeray also demanded that oxygen be airlifted if possible, an official release said.

The Maharashtra government has imposed stringent regulations to curb the spread of the Covid-19 disease, including restrictions on inter-city and inter-district travel and attendance in offices and weddings. The new restrictions under the government's “Break- the-Chain” programme came into force at 8pm on Thursday and will remain effective till 7 am on May 1.

The government said inter-city and inter-district travel is only permitted for essential services, medical emergencies and funerals. Under the new order, only 25 people cans attend wedding ceremonies, which cannot extend beyond two hours. Prohibitory orders, banning the assembly of five or more people at one place, are in force till 7am on May 1 and non-essential activities are not being allowed. Essential services, including grocery stores, are permitted to operate only between between 7am and 11am.

The latest curbs came after several ministers demanded a total lockdown for 15 days to curb the rising Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra. Maharashtra, facing an unprecedented surge in coronavirus disease cases as the pandemic’s second wave, is already under severe restrictions since April 14.