Maharashtra crosses 1.5 million Covid-19 cases, death toll nears 40,000

Maharashtra on Friday went past 1.5 million Covid-19 cases with an addition of 12,134 fresh infections, which took the state’s tally to 1,506,018. The state also

Maharashtra on Friday went past 1.5 million Covid-19 cases with an addition of 12,134 fresh infections, which took the state’s tally to 1,506,018. The state also reported 302 fatalities, pushing the toll closer to 40,000-mark at 39,732. Maharashtra has 236,491 active Covid-19 cases.

HT Image

Mumbai, meanwhile, continued to record the highest number of cases among cities and districts in the state as it recorded 2,289 fresh infections on Friday.

The city’s tally rose to 225,073, while fatalities in Mumbai rose to 9,343 with 47 deaths reported on Friday. Active cases in Mumbai stand at 26,072, which is 11.58% of the city’s total cases.

Friday also witnessed 17,232 patients being discharged, taking the total of recovered patients in the state to 1,229,339. The state’s recovery rate has improved to 81.63%.

The number of daily cases reported across the state reduced in the first week of October compared to the first week of September.

The state recorded 135,155 cases between September 2 and September 8, with an average of 19,307 cases a day, while 94,116 cases were reported between October 2 and October 8 at an average of 13,445 cases a day.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, meanwhile, hinted about the possibility of a second wave. Speaking at the commissioning of a dedicated Covid-19 hospital in Satara, Thackeray said there have been examples where with opening up of schools, restaurants, and other places, the infections have increased. Maharashtra has allowed restaurants and bars to start operations from October 5, but with 50% capacity.

“We can become lax after hearing that cases are going down; jumbo facilities have been set-up; oxygen supply beds and ventilators are available, but our real test begins now. Wherever schools have reopened, cases have increased; children have got infected. Wherever restaurants and other such facilities have opened, Covid cases have gone up,” he said.

Thackeray said till a vaccine is available, the only way to keep “the claws of Covid-19 away is to use masks, maintain physical distance, and wash hands”. Thackeray assured the people that the state government’s ‘My Family My Responsibility’ will help safeguard them.

“We do not know when the vaccine will be available. Some tests have started in our state too. But we do not know by when it will clear the testing stage… There is also the question of when the entire 12.5 crore population of Maharashtra will be vaccinated. The solution, which the world has experienced, is use masks, keep physical distance and wash hands regularly,” said the chief minister, adding that “Covid-19 may not be the last of such viruses to attack humans” and therefore getting habituated to a healthy lifestyle and sanitisation measures will help people safeguard against any such virus in the future. “Nobody can guarantee that an even deadlier virus won’t attack us. If some deadlier virus comes, we will have to again wait for a vaccine. If we have adopted a healthy lifestyle, and take care of our family through simple measures, we will be able to battle it. If we get into the habit of wearing masks, no virus will attack us,” he said.