With 4 new Covid-19 positive cases, number crosses 100-mark in Maharashtra

So far, three Covid-19 patients have died in the state, including a 68-year-old Fillipino and two other men, both aged 63.

The tally for the number of Covid-19 positive cases in Maharashtra crossed the 100-mark after four new cases were confirmed by the state’s health department on Tuesday.

Police personnel taking action against people riding bikes on the road during the lockdown, in Maharashtra’ Kopergaon on Monday. (ANI Photo)

None of these cases are from Mumbai - three of them are from Pune and one from Satara. These people have travel history to Peru, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

This has taken the total number of cases in Maharashtra to 101. So far, three Covid-19 patients have died in the state, including a 68-year-old Fillipino and two other men, both aged 63.

The overall number is touching 500 in India. The figure includes 41 foreign nationals and the nine deaths reported so far, according to the health ministry.

More on Covid-19:

• Your guide to staying safe

• What you need to know today

• How difficult it is to maintain 1-metre distance

• How coronavirus is different from seasonal flu and common cold

Maharashtra has now pipped Kerala to emerge as the state with the highest number of active cases. Kerala has 95 such cases, according to the health ministry.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday announced a curfew in the state to check the spread of Sars-CoV-2 virus.

“We are enforcing ‘sancharbandi’ (curfew) for the entire state from midnight tonight (monday). We have reached a critical stage in the ‘war against virus’, but the next few days are extremely crucial,” Thackeray said.

The state has been under a near-total lockdown since midnight (March 22-23) with all public transport - even the Mumbai suburban trains - closed.

Now, extending the ban to even private vehicles, Thackeray said on Monday that bare minimum movement would be permitted, that too only for emergencies or essential services.