Mumbai Marathwada reported is first death today with a 58-year-old man succumbing to COVID-19. The man was admitted to a local hospital in Aurangabad district a few days ago and was under treatment.
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases in the state has surged to 748. Four other coronavirus patients were admitted in the district hospital on Saturday and they are under supervision.
The government has stepped up testing and treatment facilities in the region to avoid further spread of the virus and community level transmission.
Over 800 persons have been kept under home quarantine in Aurangabad district, a senior official said. A major chunk of these are students of a local college, where one of the lecturers tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
"Although only one positive case of coronavirus was recorded in Aurangabad, the number of people quarantined has exceeded 800," Aurangabad Municipal Corporation Health Officer Dr Neeta Padalkar.
As many as 849 people have been put on 14-day mandatory quarantine till March 19. Of these, 58 are Indians with a travel history abroad and 17 are foreign nationals, she added.
The state health department is coordinating with the divisional commissioner, district collectors and civic chiefs to avoid further spread of the virus in the underdeveloped Marathwada region.
