After a gap of two months, Mumbai's daily test positivity rate (TPR) jumped to 12 per cent on Wednesday as 975 people, out of 8,173 tested, turned Covid positive in the last 24 hours. It is the highest single-day spike reported after July 1 when 978 cases were recorded. With the new additions, the city's total caseload has now increased to 11, 34,479.
Meanwhile, two people succumbed to the virus on Wednesday, increasing the death toll to 19,668. “Covid death reported of a 74-year-old man and a 59-year-old woman suffering from cancer,” said a doctor.
In the last 24 hours, Maharashtra, too, witnessed a rise in the daily cases, with 1,800 new infections and six deaths being reported on Wednesday. Now, the state's overall tally has surged to 80,76,165, with 1,48,180 fatalities, so far.
Assuring that there is no need to worry, BMC executive health officer Dr Mangala Gomare said that the Covid cases will follow a see-saw pattern.
Moreover, the cases have swelled owing to the rise in Covid testing and seasonal flu prevalence, she reasoned.
A senior doctor from the civic health department said there are several factors that have led to the rise in cases in the city. Currently, the Omicron and its new lineages are the major reason for the surge, he added.
“The main reason behind the surge is that the virus follows a pattern where it comes and goes back. Also, for the last several months, people are not following the necessary precautions to avoid spreading or transmitting Covid infection. Due to this behaviour, the virus is still in circulation. Hence, we are seeing a rise in the number of cases in a few districts and cities across Maharashtra,” said a senior doctor from the state Covid task force.
State surveillance officer Dr Pradip Awate said, “It's a general pattern that we witness during any surge. Cities like Mumbai and Pune record the highest number of cases which gradually spread to the neighbouring areas due to the proximity and population movement. But as the infection rate is mild, we haven’t witnessed any sudden spike like the third wave.”
