Maharashtra continues to witness a surge in daily COVID-19 positive cases for the third consecutive day with the state reported 5,640 new infections and 155 pandemic deaths in the past 24 hours. With this, the number of positive cases rose to 17,68,695 and the death toll stood at 46,511. Meanwhile, the active cases in the state have dropped below 80,000-mark in the last five months.
Mumbai reported more than 1,000 cases on Friday with 1,031 new patients and 12 deaths in the past 24 hours. With the latest figures, city’s total count rose to 2,73,480 and 10,637 patients succumbed to the disease so far.
The city’s recovery rate has now touched 92 percent and as many as 553 patients have been discharged in the past 24 hours taking the total recovery figure to 2,50,456.
According to officials of the health department, cases are expected to increase in the areas with low temperature and high density of population.
“High variations in temperature, crowding at public places and complacency leading to not adopting COVID-19 appropriate behaviour are the reasons that have resulted in the rise in the cases.
The district administrations have been directed to gear up for the surge, which could see more active patients than reported in the third week of September.
“We had 3.02 lakh active patients on September 17. The second wave could see the number reaching 4 lakh active patients,” he said.
He also added that experts and members of the state-appointed task force were divided over the time of the second wave. “A section of the task force feels that the second wave will be between December 25 and January 26, while another group of members feel that it could be between mid-December and January-end. They also have projected a gradual rise in cases immediately after Diwali,” he added.
