Maharashtra, which has so far recorded a maximum number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country, suffered first fatality on Tuesday, as a 63-year-old coronavirus-affected patient died at Mumbai’s Kasturba Hospital and the total number of persons tested positive for the pandemic rose to 40 in the State.
With the latest coronaviras-related death in Mumbai, the total number of deaths arising of Covid-19 climbed to three in the country. Earlier, one death each had been reported from Karnataka and Delhi.
“Apart from the patient who died today, there are 40 other patients who have tested positive are undergoing treatment at hospitals. Of them, the gravity of symptoms is not severe but the condition of one patient is critical. The remaining 32 others are not displaying symptoms of disease,” chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said.
Denying speculation in a section of electronic media that the State Government would close down suburban train services in the metropolis and it would shut down Mantralaya (State Secretariat) and Government offices for seven days, the Chief Minister said: “We will not discontinue operation of suburban trains in the city. Nor will we closed Mantralaya and Government offices as speculated in the media. We are constantly assessing the emerging situation. We will take appropriate decisions at appropriate time”.
Talking to media persons after reviewing the Covid-19 situation in the State, Uddhav appealed the Mumbaikars to travel in trains and buses if it was very essential for them. “Since trains and buses are essential services, we have no plans at the moment to shut down the public transport system. Similarly, there is no plan to shut down Mantralaya and Government offices. But, we are considering if we can bring down the number of employees in Government by 50 per cent,” the Chief Minister said.
The senior citizen, who died at the Kasturba Hospital on Tuesday morning, had returned to Mumbai from Dubai on March 5, “He was first admitted to Hinduja Hospital on March 7 for treatment of high blood pressure. He was on March 12 shifted to Kasurba Hospital where he tested positive for Coronavirus. Initially, he* was responding to treatment. He breathed his last at 7 am today,” State Health Minister Rajesh Tope said.
The total number of confirmed Coronavirus cases rose from 39 to 41, as two fresh positive cases were reported on Tuesday. Of the two fresh cases, one is a 49-year-old man who had returned to Mumbai from the United States on March 7, while the second patient is a 26-year-old man, who had returned to Pune on March 14 and is currently at a Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC)-run hospital at Bhosari.
Confirming the death of the 63-year-old man at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-run Kasturba Hospital, a statement released by the Epidemiology cell of the hospital said: “Patient had high blood pressure, pneumonia and inflammation of heart muscles and increased heart rate, leading to his death. He was a positive case of COVID-19”.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Ministry of Health said in New Delhi said that the patient who died at Kasturba Hospital, had not revealed his travel history when he was initially admitted to a private hospital for five days before being shifted to Kasturba Hospital. “The patient had travel history to Dubai, which he reportedly did not disclose at the time of his admission to the private hospital,” the Heatlh Ministry statement said.
There are currently 105 suspected Coronavirus cases in the state. “All these 105 persons are hospitalised. As of today, as many 1169 people have come from Coronavirus pandemic-hit countries. After found suffering from fever, cold, irritation in throat, as many as 900 people have been quarantined in various hospitals . Of them, 779 people have tested negative, while 41 persons have tested positive for Covid-19,” Tope said.
Listing new measures initiated by the State Government to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, the chief minister said: “We have spoken to the heads of various drug companies and experts in health sector. They have offered to cooperate with the state government. The companies have even offered to give us drugs, masks, sanitzers and ventilators from their CSR funds...We have authorised the district collectors to purchase ventilators and other equipment required for their needs from the local market”.
“We have intensified screening of passengers arriving at the airports or ports at the airports and ports. We have made adequate arrangements for quarantining people coming from abroad,” the chief minister said.
“The persons whom we have advised to quarantine themselves at their homes should take care of themselves and not stir out of their homes. We have also ordered closure of schools in rural areas and asked the authorities to keep sanitizers, soap and water at public toilets in rural areas,” Uddhav said.
Official sources said that the state government would book 20 rooms at Mirage (Madison Group), 100 at ITC Maratha, 70 at PWD Guest House in Andheri and 50 at Niranta Airport Transit Hotel, which would be designated as a ‘quarantine’.
Those requiring quarantine are being sent to Seven Hills Hospital, Mumbai. Municipal Commissioner Pravin Pardeshi has meanwhile called upon the private sector to implement “Work From Home” (WFH) as far as possible for the next couple of weeks. In a related development, the Western Railway has decided to cancel 35 trips of 10 train services due to low occupancy arriving out of COVID-19. The Central Railway has cancelled 23 trains due to low occupancy arising out of the outbreak of Coronavirus.