Maharashtra’s active case count dips to below 100,000

After more than four months (130 days), Maharashtra’s active Covid-19 case count went below 100,000 on Monday to 96,375. The state, which is still battling the second wave of Covid-19 infections, had gone past 100,000 active cases on March 11 — the beginning of the wave.

After more than four months (130 days), Maharashtra’s active Covid-19 case count went below 100,000 on Monday to 96,375. The state, which is still battling the second wave of Covid-19 infections, had gone past 100,000 active cases on March 11 — the beginning of the wave.

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Even as the overall active case has come down, 10 districts in the state, which are rural parts of the state, are still showing higher number of fresh cases in comparison to the state’s overall average.

Maharashtra on Monday added 6,017 fresh Covid-19 infections, pushing the tally to 6,220,207. It also added 66 deaths — lowest since July 12 — to take the toll to 127,097. Mumbai, meanwhile, reported 403 new cases and 14 deaths. The city’s active caseload stood at 10,422 on Monday.

Pune district tops the state with highest number of active infections with 15,768, followed by Thane district (13,632), Kolhapur district (10,538), Mumbai, Sangli district (10,014), and Satara district (6,566).

Ten districts, including Raigad, Ahmednagar, Pune rural, Solapur rural, Satara, Kolhapur rural, Sangli rural, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Nandurbar, in the state have been reporting over 60% of the state’s total cases daily. However, state health department and district officials said that positivity rate in these districts, especially the rural areas, is reducing gradually.

As per the state’s data, the rural areas in the 10 districts reported 66.61% of the total cases reported on Monday. While the urban areas, which were the hotbed of viral activity earler, including Mumbai, Mumbai Metropolitan Region (excluding Raigad district), Pune city and Pimpri-Chinchwad, contributed 1,248 fresh cases or 20.74% of the total cases reported on Monday.

On Monday, 904 cases were reported in Kolhapur rural, 795 in Sangli rural, 545 in Satara, 436 in Pune rural, 427 in Ahmednagar rural, 286 in Solapur rural, 224 in Raigad, 221 in Ratnagiri, 169 in Sindhudurg, the state data said. These areas reported 4,008 fresh cases or 66.61% of the state’s total cases on Monday.

State health minister Rajesh Tope, who had reviewed the situation in Kolhapur district on the weekend, said, “Ten districts are showing higher cases than the state’s overall average. However, the positivity rate is coming down in these parts.” A senior health department official said the wave is showing gradual signs of ebbing in rural areas. “Viral activity follows different pattern in every geography. These districts have been an area of concern, but the cases are reducing gradually. The positivity rate is showing a drop there,” he said requesting anonymity.

Kolhapur district was at the top in the state with 1,108 (904 in rural areas, 204 in city) fresh cases on Monday. The district administration said the positivity rate is seeing a decrease. “Our positivity rate which was in the twenties has now gone under 10%. Even the positivity rate in the city is around 7% now. We were in a state on complete lockdown, while other districts were open, which has helped in controlling the situation. The viral activity is reducing and we are confident the numbers will come down soon,” said a senior district official who did not wish to the named.