Active Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra at 7-month low

Pune, Ahmednagar and Satara are also among the nine districts in Maharashtra with higher weekly positivity rate than the state’s average of 2.11%

Maharashtra recorded 2,844 fresh Covid infections pushing the count to 6,544,606 on Tuesday. The tally of active Covid cases further reduced to 36,794 as 3,029 recoveries were reported in the past 24 hours. The current number of active cases have gone below the 37,516 cases reported on February 3 and are the lowest in the last 7 months. The state also saw 60 Covid-related casualties taking the total to 138,962. Ahmednagar reported the highest toll with 12 deaths.

A member of Maharashtra Covid task force said that a sero survey conducted in Mumbai shows that 85% of the population has Delta antibodies. (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

The continuing drop in active infections has helped the state government’s decision to lift all curbs from next month. It is reopening in-person classes in schools from October 4, all religious places from October 7 and cinema halls, theatres and multiplexes from October 22.

On April 22, Maharashtra reported highest number of active cases 699,858.

With 9,243, Pune is at the top among five districts that account for more than 75.29% of the total active cases recorded on September 27. Thane has 5,888 active cases, Ahmednagar 5,506, Mumbai 5,053 and Satara has 2,201.

Pune, Ahmednagar and Satara are also among the nine districts with higher weekly positivity rate than the state’s average of 2.11% . Ahmednagar has the highest positivity rate of 4.27%, Sindhudurg 4.04%, Palghar 3.39%, Pune 3.37%, Nashik 2.78%, Osmanabad 2.72%, Sangli 2.54%, Satara 2.36%, and Ratnagiri 2.36%, as per state government data.

“We have decided to unlock mindfully, slowly and carefully,” said Dr Shashank Joshi, a member of the state task force.

He said that the sero survey conducted in Mumbai also shows reassuring results. “Though it has limitations since it was not a population based survey, yet it shows that 85% of the population has Delta antibodies. The percentage of double vaccinated people has also improved in Mumbai and the state.”

With 394 cases reported on Tuesday, Mumbai’s Covid-19 infection count till date has gone up to 742,007. It also recorded six fatalities, taking the Covid death toll in the city to 16,097.

Maharashtra also vaccinated 714,410 doses on Tuesday and has administered a total 80,102,038 doses till date, according to the data available on Co-Win portal.