For the eleventh time in 12 days, Maharashtra reported more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases and the highest number of deaths in a single day so far at 116, on Friday. In the midst of this grim scenario, however, there was a sliver of good news. On the same day, 8,381 patients were discharged from various hospitals in the state, the highest number to do so in a single day, causing the recovery rate in to jump from 31.2 per cent to 43.3 per cent in the last 24 hours.
On Friday 2,682 new cases were recorded, taking the total positive count to 62,228, with 2,098 deaths until now. So far, 26,997 patients have been discharged across the state.
Thirty-eight of the 116 deaths were in Mumbai, followed by 17 in Jalgaon, 13 in Pune, nine in Navi Mumbai, seven in Dhule, five each in Malegaon and Aurangabad, three each in Bhiwandi, Mira-Bhayandar, Solapur, Nashik and Kolhapur, two each in Amravati and Raigad and one each in Panvel, Thane and Kalyan-Dombivli.
State officials attributed the high fatalities to book-keeping and said, “Of the total deaths reported on Thursday, 46 deaths occurred in the last two days, while the remaining 70 were from the period between May 16 and May 26.”
According to the public health department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the city has recorded 1,447 new cases and 38 deaths, taking the total positive count to 36,932, with 1,174 deaths so far.
Dr Pradip Awate, state surveillance officer, said that considering the monsoon is just around the corner, the prevalence of other epidemic diseases too will possibly increase and with this in mind, the health department has begun preparations.
