Maharashtra reports over 10,000 Covid-19 cases for second consecutive day, total infections breach 2.2 million mark

Maharashtra is among the five states that contributed to 82% of the new cases reported by Saturday morning.

Maharashtra reported more than 10,000 cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the span of 24 hours for the second day in a row, according to the state’s health department bulletin on Saturday. The fresh spike of 10,187 Covid-19 cases has taken the state’s tally past 2.2 million, according to the bulletin. There were 10,216 new cases on Friday, which was the highest single-day jump since October 17 last year.

A health worker takes swab sample of a resident for Covid-19 testing in a housing society amid a surge in coronavirus cases in Mumbai. (PTI File Photo )

With 47 fatalities reported in the last 24 hours, the state has witnessed the death of 52,440 patients of the viral disease so far. Recoveries from the infection have also gone up with 2,062,031 people discharged from hospitals or recovered in home isolation. The state’s capital of Mumbai logged 1,188 new cases in the last 24 hours, data showed, which have taken the city’s tally to 332,208. Five people died of Covid-19 in Mumbai during the same period.

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Following the rise in Covid-19 cases since the last month, the central government has sent a high-level team to the state to assist the Maharashtra health department to review surveillance, control and containment measures in the state. The teams will visit the hotspot areas to check the reasons for the jump in cases in recent days.

Maharashtra is among the five states that contributed to 82% of the new cases reported by Saturday morning, according to the Union ministry of health and family welfare. Other states reporting a high number of cases are Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

A health ministry report, cited by news agency ANI, has attributed the upsurge in cases due to “COVID inappropriate behaviour” and gatherings due to recent gram panchayat elections, wedding season and the increased crowd in public transport. "While the exact causes of the surge are not known - since laxity in COVID behaviour is not specific to the state - the possible factors are COVID inappropriate behaviour due to lack of fear of disease, pandemic fatigue; miss outs and super spreaders; and enhanced aggregations due to recent gram panchayat elections, marriage season and opening of schools and crowded public transport," ANI quoted the report.

The report also suggested that the state health machinery may have become lax following a dip in the cases of the coronavirus disease after September 2020. Suggesting measures to break the chain of transmission, the report said, "District/state-wise participative plan, engaging the community may yield better results rather than knee-jerk reactions. Revenue machinery needs to take full charge."