Maharashtra and its capital Mumbai on Saturday reported their highest single-day coronavirus infection count, reported NDTV.
Mumbai recorded 9,090 new cases, according to civic body Brihanmumbai Corporation. The Covid-19 tally in the city rose to 4,41,282. With 27 deaths, the fatality count went up to 11,751. As many as 5,322 people were discharged, taking the total recovery count to 3,66,365. There are 62,187 active cases. The doubling rate of cases is 44 days in the city.
So far, the BMC has sealed 681 building, which have five or more active cases in a single complex, according to Mint. There are 70 active containment zones in the city.
Maharashtra, which is one of the worst affected states in India, registered 49,447 coronavirus cases and 277 deaths. The infection count climbed to 29,52,143 and the toll stood at 55,656. There are 4,01,172 actives cases. With 37,821 recoveries, the number of patients discharged rose to 24,95,315.
As cases continue to climb, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that a lockdown cannot be ruled out in the state. Mumbai reported 8,832 cases of coronavirus and 47,827 people tested positive in Maharashtra on the day. Maharashtra alone accounted for nearly 60% of the active Covid-19 cases in the country on Friday.
Apart from warning about a lockdown, Thackeray said that his government was aiming to ramp up tests to 2.5 lakh on a daily basis. Thackeray also warned that the health infrastructure could come under stress if the pandemic situation worsened.
Earlier on Friday, authorities in Pune imposed a 12-hour night curfew, from 6 pm to 6 am, starting from Saturday. Pune Divisional Commissioner Saurabh Rao said that restaurants, bars, malls and religious places will remain closed for the next seven days and the situation will be reviewed after a week.
In Mumbai, mall owners have expressed their reservations against the imposition of a lockdown. The Shopping Centres Association of India said that the malls get only 1% of the population’s footfall and far more people assemble in trains and local markets.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!