The Maharashtra Public Health Department, on Wednesday, projected that the state will have 5,55,453 active COVID-19 positive cases on May 23. Of the 36 districts, the districts with high active cases will include Pune (60,715), Ahmednagar (40,186), Mumbai (37,653), Nashik (34,240), Satara (30,295), Solapur (28,567), Sangli (28,477), Kolhapur (25,001), Nagpur (23,097), Palghar (21,365), Thane (17,428) and Buldhana (17,076). These projections have been made considering the third COVID-19 pandemic wave.
The department, in its presentation to the state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, said despite the high number of active cases, Pune will have 7,480 isolation beds, 4,119 oxygen beds, 1,992 ICU beds and 871 ventilators. Mumbai will have 40,514 isolation beds, 9,508 oxygen beds, 1,912 ICU beds and 1,196 ventilators. Further, Thane will have 18,389 isolation beds, 10,230 oxygen beds, 2,880 ICU beds and 908 ventilators. However, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Nashik and Buldhana will continue to face shortage of these medical amenities.
At the state level, the department said there will be 4,55,725 isolation beds, excluding ICU beds, 3,20,195 isolation beds for COVID 19 patients, 1,35,499 isolation beds for suspects, 99,746 oxygen beds, 31,026 total ICU beds, 12,160 ventilators, 13,67,910 PPE kits and 21,82,912 N-95 masks.
The department has emphasised the need to pay additional attention to Sidhudurg, Parbhani and Ahmednagar, which will have a weekly high positivity rate of 32.48, 34.13 and 39.50, respectively. Further, the department wants the administration to step up containment measures in Latur and Osmanabad with high weekly death rates of 2.54% and 2.39%. The department made these projections on a day when Maharashtra reported 46,781 new cases and 816 deaths with 5,46,129 active cases and 78,007 progressive deaths.
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