Maha records 48k fresh Covid cases; tally crosses 5mn-mark

With 48,401 fresh cases on Sunday, the state recorded fewer than 50,000 cases for the first time since April 5 when it logged 47,288 cases

Maharashtra on Sunday recorded 48,401 fresh Covid cases, pushing the count to 5,101,737. The tally of active cases reduced to 615,783 as 60,226 recoveries were reported in the last 24 hours.

Medics take swab samples for Covid-19 test of commuters at Kopar Khairane Railway Station in Navi Mumbai. (HT file)

This is the first time since April 5 that the state has recorded fewer than 50,000 cases since April 5 when it logged 47,288 cases.

The state saw 572 casualties that took the toll figures up to 75,849. Mumbai reported the highest toll with 68 fatalities. It was followed by Kalyan-Dombivli city with 50 deaths.

The state is facing a surge in cases for three months now and it has been 17 days to a complete lockdown. The lockdown restrictions have helped in stabilising the rise in daily cases but they are yet to start declining.

An analysis of statistics also shows that the daily testing in the state is not going up. In the last three weeks, the daily tests conducted remained between 210,000 and 290,000 per day. Maximum tests were conducted on April 30 — 290,207.

Officials said that there is a limit on stretching the testing apparatus. Maharashtra is among the states having conducted maximum tests and the positivity rate has also started coming down.

“We have increased daily testing from a maximum 96,000 per day in the first wave to 290,000 per day in the second wave, which is many times more than what we were doing last year. We have maintained tracing over ten contacts against one positive patient,” said Dr Archana Patil director, directorate of health services.