The spike in coronavirus cases in Maharashtra continued unabated as the state recorded 11,141 new infections on Sunday, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said in a tweet. The single-day count was the highest in nearly five months since October 16, when it recorded 11,447 cases, according to the Hindustan Times.
The state’s tally went up to 22,19,727, while the toll stood at 52,478, with 38 fatalities recorded on Sunday.
Capital Mumbai reported 1,360 new cases and five deaths, according to civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The city also recorded the sharpest single-day spike in cases since October 28 when it had reported 1,354 cases in one day, the Hindustan Times reported.
Meanwhile, authorities in Aurangabad on Sunday announced partial lockdown from March 11 to April 4, All India Radio News reported, quoting District Collector Sunil Chavan. The official also said that the district will observe complete lockdown on weekends. During the partial lockdown, malls and weekly markets will be shut, weddings and public functions disallowed and restaurants will have to be closed at 9 pm, according to News18.
The state Cabinet held a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday to discuss various aspects to tackle the rising number of cases, Mint reported, quoting unidentified officials. However, no decision has been announced yet.
Meanwhile, the Central government has sent a high-level team to Maharashtra and Punjab to assist their health departments and review the prevailing surveillance, control and containment measures, according to the Hindustan Times.
Another central team that had visited Maharashtra on March 1 and 2 has said that the the lack of fear of the pandemic among people, recent local body elections and crowded public transport were among the many factors that may have contributed to the surge in cases, NDTV reported.
“People are not forthcoming for strictly following quarantine or getting testing done,” a report shared by the team noted, according to NDTV. “ [The] sense is that the current wave is less virulent. The health machinery also may have become lax after cases came down after September.
The team visited Nagpur, Yavatmal, Amaravati, Khamli, Devnagar on the first day and Pune, Mumbai and Thane on the second day.
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