Maha records over 200 cases for a second day; toll is 110

Maharashtra recorded more than 200 cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) for a second consecutive day on Friday, with 210 new infections taking the state’s tally

Maharashtra recorded more than 200 cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) for a second consecutive day on Friday, with 210 new infections taking the state’s tally to 1,574. The state had reported 229 cases, highest in a single day, on Thursday.

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The death toll, too, rose by 13 to 110 on Friday.

The number of Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra has recorded a 147.8% jump since April 4 – a week – when there were 635 infections. Mumbai has also seen a spike of 167% (377 to 1,008) in the number of cases during the same period.

State health department officials attributed the rise in cases to more testing across the state, especially in Mumbai. “We are not waiting for people to come forward… we track contacts of infected persons and those in containment zones and test them. Private laboratories have been given permission to test too. The rise in figures is because there is more testing,” said an official, who did not wish to be named.

However, with the number of cases rising rapidly, the state government is mulling extending the lockdown in urban areas, while it may ease a few restrictions in rural areas, especially at locations where there are not many cases. A decision on this is expected on Saturday, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video conference meeting with chief ministers of all states.

State health minister Rajesh Tope had earlier indicated that the situation “would not come back to normal after the 21-day lockdown ends on April 14”.

Senior Mantralaya officials, on condition of anonymity, said the government is looking at various options, including keeping Mumbai, Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad – the areas with most of cases – under lockdown, while relaxing restrictions in other parts of the state. However, movement of people between districts and curb on transportation is likely to continue, said the officials.

The government has also decided to use technology to carry out “surveillance and sanitisation” in Mumbai, which is the worst-hit in state. Tope said drones will be used by Mumbai Police for “effective” implementation of the lockdown in densely populated areas and by the civic body to spray disinfectants in Dharavi.

“The number of cases in Mumbai is increasing and it is a cause of concern. However, the state government is implementing measures under the containment survey action plan,” Tope said, in a statement, adding that the state would deploy State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) in densely populated areas and near containment zones. “The rise in the number of cases in Mumbai is worrying. Therefore to reduce crowding in densely populated areas, SRPF will be deployed. A request has already been made to the home department. Reducing crowding in areas is crucial. The control room will monitor [crowding] through CCTVs, and drones will be used for surveillance in these areas. Drones will also be used to spray disinfectants by the BMC in Dharavi. We have also asked BMC to increase sanitisation in public toilets in Dharavi.”

The minister also held a meeting with Union health minister Harsh Vardhan via video conferencing on Friday and sought quicker standardisation for personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, so that its manufacturing can begin. The state sought additional testing facilities in five cities – Nanded, Aurangabad, Jalna, Latur and Amravati.

Tope said the state has 3.25 lakh PPE kits, 8.25 lakh N95 masks, 2125 ventilators, but it needs more such equipment. “Maharashtra has five to six manufacturers, but the standardisation has to come from the Centre. The chief minister has already written to Government of India seeking a timeframe to provide additional PPE, masks and ventilators,” he said.

State health department officials said that chief minister Thackeray would take up the issue with the Prime Minister during the meeting on Saturday.