350 new cases take Maharashtra’s Covid-19 infections to 2,684, casualties rise to 178

Covid-19 update: Eighteen Covid-19 patients died during the day to take the toll of casualties to 178, the highest in the country.

The total number of people infected by Covid-19 in Maharashtra rose to 2,684 on Tuesday after 350 new cases were reported, the state health department said.

Covid-19: A medical officers step out after testing residents of Jijamata Nagar, Worli, during the nationwide lockdown, imposed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic in Mumbai. (Satish Bate/HT Photo)

Eighteen Covid-19 patients died during the day to take the toll of casualties to 178, the highest in the country.

A total of 259 people have recovered from the infection.

Maharashtra continues to have the highest number Covid-19 cases among the 10,815 cases in the country.

Amid the lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, there was a major scare Tuesday afternoon after hundreds of migrant workers gathered at the Bandra West railway station demanding transport to go to their homes in different states.

The police, which have already been stretched to enforce the lockdown, had to resort to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd of workers.

Hours after the fracas, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray went on Facebook to tell workers that they are safe and that there is no need to worry. He said the Centre will make arrangements for their return as soon as the lockdown is lifted.

Earlier, Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of the lockdown till May 3. Most chief ministers had sought an extension of the lockdown and many states including Maharashtra had already extended it till April 30.

The lockdown which began on March 25 for 21 days was to end Tuesday midnight.