Days after the Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope said there is no sign for third wave of COVID-19 in Maharashtra, the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday expressed concern over high positivity rate in eight districts against the weekly average of 2.28% and high growth in patients in 10 districts against the state average of 0.052%. Further, the state cabinet raised alarm over detection of new COVID patients largely in Pune, Ahmednagar, Mumbai, Thane and Solapur. Of the total new 23,482 patients detected between September 15 and 21, as high as 16,495 were found in those five districts.
The Public Health Department in its presentation said Ahmednagar tops with 4.78% positivity rate followed by Pune 4.62%, Sangli 3.97%, Sindhudurg 3.46%, Osmanabad 3.40%, Nashik 2.94%, Palghar 2.56% and Satara 2.37%. Interestingly, the positivity rate in 19 districts is below 1%.
Further, Ahmednagar also ranks first in high growth rate in COVID 19 patients at 0.202%, Solapur 0.116%, Satara 0.094%, Sangli 0.082%, Ratnagiri 0.080%, Osmanabad 0.078%, Raigad 0.073%. Pune 0.066%, Mumbai 0.060% and Sindhudurg 0.058%.
As on September 21, cumulatively the state has administered 7,50,57,448 COVID 19 vaccine doses comprising 5,36,97,066 first dose and 2,13,60,382 second dose. So nearly 58.73% of the eligible people who are 18 year plus have received one dose, 47.88% from the 18-44 age groups also got one dose while 66.35% from 45 year plus also got the first dose.
As far as health infrastructure is concerned, there are 433086 isolation beds excluding ICU beds, 340864 isolation beds for COVID 19 patients, 92,157 isolation beds for COVID 19 suspects, 126662 oxygen beds, 37174 total ICU beds, 14445 ventilators, 1591135 PPE kits and 2775506 N95 masks.
