Maharashtra’s Covid-19 cases jump to 89, say officials

Officials also said 15 new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded across the state, bringing the number of coronavirus cases to 89 so far, the highest in the country.

Health officials in Maharashtra said on Monday 15 new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded across the state, bringing the number of coronavirus cases to 89 so far, the highest in the country.

Security personnel wear masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus outside a special isolation ward at Kasturba Hospital, in Mumbai. (PTI)

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Monday a 68-year-old man from the Philippines, who tested positive for coronavirus infection and later negative, has died at a hospital.

“He was a positive case of coronavirus turned negative. Hence the cause attributable to coronavirus or not will be verified by a technical committee,” Dr Daksha shah, BMC’s deputy health officer, said.

The BMC health department earlier said in a release that the man was declared dead on Sunday night. He was admitted at the civic-body run Kasturba Gandhi Hospital on March 13 and later shifted to a private hospital.

“He was a case of diabetes mellitus and asthma and was admitted on 13th March with symptoms. He had developed acute renal failure and respiratory distress,” the release said.

Maharashtra has announced a near-total shutdown of the state till March 31, in line with the Centre’s extraordinary new measures to arrest the spread of the coronavirus.