In the highest number of deaths recorded in a day since the outbreak of the pandemic, as many as 25 people on Thursday succumbed to Covid-19 in Maharashtra taking the total number of deaths to 97 in the State, while an alarming 229 people tested positive for coronavirus in the State.
Maharashtra appeared to be peaking in terms of the spread of coronavirus, as the pandemic shock waves through the State health authorities by claiming 25 lives in the State. Pune accounted for a maximum 14 deaths, while there were nine deaths in Mumbai. Malegaon and Ratnagiri reported one death each.
A 101 year-old woman was among those who died on Thursday. Of the 25 persons whose deaths were reported on Thursday, 12 were above 60 years, while 11 deceased were in the age group of 40 and 60 years. Two of the deceased were aged below 40 years.
Among the deceased, 73 per cent of them were suffering from diabetes, blood pressure, Asthma, heart disease and similar ailments.
With the latest fatalities, the total number of Covid-19 deaths rose from 72 to 97. Of the total deaths, Mumbai accounted for 54, followed by Pune (24). Similarly, there was a sharp jump in the infections in the State. In the highest infected cases reported in a day so far, the state recorded 229 positive cases on Thursday.
With the new cases, the total number of positive cases in the state has risen to 1364.
Meanwhile, the medical bulletin put out by the State health department said: "Out of 30766 laboratory samples, 28865 were negative and 1365 have been tested positive for coronavirus until today. Seventy nine patients have been discharged till date after full recovery".
"As many as 36533 people are in home quarantine and 4731 people are in institutional quarantine," the bulletin said.
In a related development, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in its daily medical bulletin: "Contact tracing and containments activities are on. As part of contact tracing efforts, the BMC as surveyed more than 15 lakh population through health teams till date. We have identified 2806 high risk contacts which are referred for testing".
"Also 1500 samples were collected by five teams by way of home visits. Because of vigorous action in a containment zone and timely quarantine of contacts, reduction in the cases in these areas is seen," the bulletin said.
"Special screening clinics Clinic have been conducted at periphery of containment zones by doctors, nurses and lab technicians. 40 Such clinics conducted up to April 8 in which out of 1588 beneficiaries 442 swabs have been collected from suspected cases," the bulletin added.