Maharashtra inches closer to 2,000 mark; 1,982 coronavirus cases and 149 deaths so far

The state had crossed 1,000 cases just last Tuesday, but the past nine days reported more than 100 per day, including three days that saw more than 200 cases. Mumbai has 1,298 cases and 92 deaths.

Maharashtra recorded 221 coronavirus cases and 22 deaths on Sunday, taking the state closer to the 2,000-case mark at 1,982. The death toll has reached 149, state figures revealed.

Police personal evacuated the Gateway Of India following COVID 19 pandemic in Mumbai. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times)

The state had crossed 1,000 cases just last Tuesday, but the past nine days reported more than 100 per day, including three days that saw more than 200 cases. Mumbai has 1,298 cases and 92 deaths. The state has tested 41,109 people and has kept 5,064 suspected patients in government quarantine facilities, while 61,247 are quarantined at home, said health officials.

Senior officials have indicated that the rate of the virus’s spread will be arrested, but it could take a couple of days. “The rise is on and for two days, the number of new cases had even crossed the 200 mark, but on Saturday, it came down to 187. We have taken adequate measures to curb the spread and are hoping that the decline in new cases will start in the next couple of days,” said a senior official, requesting anonymity.

The rising numbers had forced chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday to extend the lockdown till April 30, so as to prevent the state from slipping in to phase three — community spread — of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, said the official. He has also said they may have to extend it further if people did not co-operate. However, the state is also mulling relaxing restrictions in areas where there are no cases. “There is a meeting with the chief minister on Monday where the issue is likely to be discussed. We have suggested areas completely unaffected should be given some relaxations,” said another senior official, on condition of anonymity.

The testing facility for Covid-19 is currently available at 17 government and 15 private medical colleges across the state.

Meanwhile, the state government decided to cancel this year’s geography paper of Class 10. It has further decided to cancel the second semester examinations of Classes 9 and 11. The results will be declared based on performance of the students for the entire year, said school education minister Varsha Gaikwad.

Geography paper of Class 10 was supposed to be held on March 23, but was postponed following the outbreak. The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) will come out with a fair marking formula for Class 10 students, said the education minister.

To curb practice of overpricing and black-marketing in the lockdown period, state food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal also directed the legal metrology department to form squads with the help of police, revenue officials and inspect godowns, shops of retail and wholesale traders and take action accordingly. “They can be booked for violating Commodities Act and can face imprisonment up to seven years, said an official from food and civil supplies department.

Meanwhile, the district administration of Wardha in Vidarbha has decided to disinfect the vehicles entering the district for supplying essential commodities. Wardha collector Vivek Bhimanwar issued orders on Sunday. He has also directed to stop vegetable supplies from the districts affected by the epidemic.

Wardha has no case of coronavirus so far.

The state health department has found 37 coronavirus patients who have attended the international congregation of Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin in Delhi last month. A total of 755 people from the state had attended the religious gathering. Of them, eight are from Latur; seven from Yavatmal; six from Buldhana; three from Mumbai; two each in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Ahmednagar; one each in Ratnagiri, Nagpur Municipal Corporation, Hingoli, Jalgaon, Osmanabad, Kolhapur and Washim, said state health officials. “In addition, seven people, who have come in contact, have also tested positive. Six are in Ahmednagar and one in Pimpri-Chinchwad,” said an official.