COVID-19 cases across Maharashtra have risen by 38 per cent in the last 24 hours. 4,382 new cases and 66 deaths were reported on Wednesday, increasing the total counts to 19,54,553 and 49,825, respectively. Meanwhile, the recovery rate of the state has touched 94.79 per cent. 2,750 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours, pushing the tally to 18,52,759.
Mumbai, meanwhile, witnessed 795 new cases and eight deaths on Wednesday, increasing the total corresponding counts to 2,96,319 and 11,155 deaths so far. However, the fatality rate of Mumbai is 3.75 per cent, which is still higher than the state CFR which is 2.75 per cent.
Moreover, the state is going to conduct dry runs for the vaccination in all the 36 districts, including Mumbai, on January 8. “Maharashtra is all set for the vaccination, which we expect to be rolled out in the next eight to 10 days. We have a cold chain system in place. 16,000 vaccinators have been trained and are ready for the drive. 780,000 health care workers have already been registered on the CoWIN app, while people from other categories, like frontline workers, are being registered by the respective departments. We are all set to roll out the programme once it is announced by the Centre. We expect the Centre to release the vaccine doses in proportion to the registrations done,” said Rajesh Tope, state health minister.
Meanwhile, in the wake of eight United Kingdom returnees being found with the new strain of the virus, the state government has decided to implement the health protocol for such patients strictly. “All the eight patients are asymptomatic and two of them have been discharged as they tested negative and are stable. However, the new strain is said to be 70 per percent more transmissible, but not so virulent,” he said. The state task force members have chalked out stricter norms for UK returnees testing positive for the new strain.
