Mumbai: Covid-19 recovery rate in Maharashtra has now increased to 82.76 per cent with 26,440 being recovered and discharged on Saturday, increasing the tally to 12,55,779 so far. Meanwhile, the state has recorded 11,416 new infections and 302 fatalities in the last 24 hours, taking the total count to 15,17,434, with 40,040 deaths till now.
Mumbai, meanwhile, continued to record the highest number of cases among cities and districts in the state as it recorded 2,203 fresh infections and 48 Covid-19 deaths on Saturday, taking the total count to 2,27,251 and 9,388 fatalities.
The state has witnessed a steady drop in new infections over the last two weeks after cases in districts like Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Sangli and Kolhapur saw a dip in the cases. While in peripheral districts succeeded in bringing the growth rate down, cities in MMR, which comprises nine municipal corporations including Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli and rural parts of Thane, Raigad, Palghar, reported a rise in cases over the past four weeks. Opening up of activities and lifting of restrictions on mobility are the reasons attributed to the rise.
The share in the daily cases in MMR in the state caseload increased to 32.61% on October 6, from 19.20% four weeks ago on September 8 and 21.07% two weeks ago on September 22. Western Maharashtra’s share reduced to 32.61% from 38.98% a month ago. North Maharashtra reported a dip in daily cases to 12.56% on October 6 from 14.29% on September 8. Vidarbha and Marathwada cases dropped to 15.58% and 0.90% from 14.59% and 11.10% during this period.
Experts, however, feel that the state has reached the plateau and if the trend continued for the next two weeks, there could be a drastic fall in cases by the month-end. “The overall fall in the number of cases is owing to the attainment of the plateau, herd immunity witnessed in containment areas-hotspots and drop in the tests by the authorities. The natural history of any epidemic disease sees a plateau after third stage. If we continue with the downward trend for next two weeks, we can expect the number of daily tests to fall below 5,000. The hope, however, comes with a rider. The people should not let their guard down and the government should continue tracing and testing susceptible people,” said Avinash Bhondve, Maharashtra president, Indian Medical Association.
