Record spike for 2nd day in a row takes Maha closer to 1 lakh cases

For a second consecutive day, Maharashtra recorded its highest 24-hour jump in coronavirus cases with 3,607 more infections on Thursday, taking the tally to 97,648.

For a second consecutive day, Maharashtra recorded its highest 24-hour jump in coronavirus cases with 3,607 more infections on Thursday, taking the tally to 97,648. The government said it is ready to tackle the surge anticipated after relaxing lockdown curbs. The state announced the addition of doctors and beds in Mumbai, even as it pushed for slashing the restriction period for containment zones by half and reiterated its demand for resumption of local train services for essential services workers.

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The state’s Covid-19 death toll also rose by 152 — 35 casualties in the past two days and the remaining in the past nine weeks — pushing the fatality count to 3,590. India’s worst-affected city, Mumbai, reported 1,418 new cases and 97 more deaths, pushing its tally and toll to 54,085 and 1,954 respectively.

State health minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday asked the Union health ministry to reduce the restriction period in containment zones from 28 days to 14 days. Tope made the request during a meeting with Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.

The state’s recovery rate is 47.2%, as 46,078 patients are reported to have recovered so far, with 1,561 patients discharged on Thursday. The recovery rate in the state was 26.25% on May 20, 29.06% on May 24, 31.26% on May 28 and improved to 43.38% on May 29. Tope described the current availability of ICU beds in Mumbai as “hand-to-mouth”. However, he said the city will get 500 additional ICU beds by next week. The minister said the state and local administration in Mumbai is prepared to tackle a spike in cases. He said that beds in Covid Care Centres (CCC), Dedicated Covid Health Centres (DCHC) are available.

“We are prepared to tackle the situation even if there is a spike in the coming days following the lifting of curbs. The beds at CCC and DCHC, where there is an oxygen line with beds, are available. The current situation of ICU beds today is hand-to-mouth, but in the next eight days, an additional 500 ICU beds will be made operational in Mumbai,” Tope said.

The minister said the state government is getting more doctors to ensure there is no shortage of doctors in Mumbai . “We are getting around 200 to 300 doctors from other districts to serve in Mumbai. Our preparedness plan is in place. There will be no shortage of beds or doctors,” he said

The state, meanwhile, wants to reduce the period needed for restrictions in containment zones. Containment zones are areas where a significant number of cases have been detected, after which the authority puts movement restrictions in those areas and implements strict lockdown measures.

The area is declared free after there is no case reported in 28 days after the last case tests negative.

Heavy police deployment is made outside these areas to ensure the effective implementation of norms. As of June 9, Mumbai alone has 798 containment zones in the city. A statement from Tope said that the minister made a request to the Centre to take a re-look at the norms and halve it to reduce the strain on the police personnel deployed outside hotspots.

“All activities are restricted inside a containment zone until no cases are reported for 28 days. Heavy police deployment is done to ensure the implementation is carried and a large chunk of the police is deployed in these areas. The Centre should look at reducing these curbs from 28 days to 14 so that the police force can be rested and put on duty elsewhere. The Centre should issue guidelines on this,” the statement said.

Of the 152 deaths reported on Thursday, 35 were from the last two days while remaining had taken place from April 1 to June 8. Of the total fatalities, 119 are from Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), including 97 from Mumbai, nine from Mira Bhayander and seven from Kalyan-Dombivli. Eight each were from Pune and Solapur. 85 of the people who died were above 60 years of age and 107 of them had comorbidities.

A total of 15,533 samples have been tested in the past 24 hours, with a positivity rate of 23.22%. With 41 private and 54 owned by the government, state has 95 laboratories for coronavirus tests. Currently, 5,73,606 people are under home quarantine.

Tope also reiterated the state government’s demand to resume suburban train services for the workforce in essential and emergency services.

“I have requested the Union health minister that limited local train services for the workforce in essential and emergency services should be allowed. I am confident he would discuss the demand with the prime minister and we expect a decision at the earliest.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday had reiterated the demand to start local train services so that people who reside in far-flung suburbs and employed at hospitals and in other essential services can resume work to tackle the Covid-19 situation in the city.

According to the officials from the state government, the Centre has been informed how it is important to ease out the stress on essential services, including healthcare workers and police. “After private offices are allowed to operate, BEST buses are plying at crowded areas, making it difficult for these frontline workers to commute. We cannot be fully dependent on road transport, while easing restrictions,” the officer said.

The mortality rate in the state went up in the past few days, reaching 3.7% on Thursday, from 3.25% on May 25 and 3.37% on May 31, even as the national rate witnessed a gradual fall. The national mortality rate too saw bit of rise and reported 2.83% on Thursday from 2.78% on Sunday, but it has been on a gradual slide from 3.06% on May 21 and 2.84% on May 31.

“There could be a marginal hike in the rate, but it’s not worrisome as the difference it not too high. The rise may be because of a few elements related to test, disease pattern, late admission and it has been witnessed globally. Our mortality is well within control, compared to other countries,” said Dr Avinash Supe, former KEM dean and member of the expert committee appointed by the state to recommend steps to curb the spread.

Dr Supe said that the surge the state has been witnessing a mix of trends, as in some parts like Dharavi the cases are on decline, while in some areas like Malad, the cases are on the rise. “Until we are prepared with good health infrastructure and patients are getting required line of treatment, there is no need to worry about the surge,” he said.