Covid-19: Slight surge in Maharashtra & Mumbai’s cases for fourth day in a row – Times of India

MUMBAI: A gentle surge in the daily number of Covid-19 cases was apparent across the state as well as in its capital Mumbai for the fourth day in a row.
A total of 5,760 cases and 62 deaths were reported on Saturday, taking the state’s caseload to 17,74,455 and toll to 46,573. The fatalities dropped by 60% from 155 on Friday to 62. The drop in fatalities was due to delay in uploading data by many districts, senior officials said.

While the average number of cases in Mumbai was between 500 and 800 last week, cases have shot past 1,000 in the last two days. On Saturday, the BMC added 1,093 cases to take the city’s Covid tally so far to 2.74 lakh. While 12 deaths were recorded on Friday, the toll on Saturday was 17. The toll in Mumbai since March now stands at 10,656.
BMC officials, however, said there is no surge of Covid cases in Mumbai; the extra numbers are the results of increased testing, they said. The scene at BMC-run hospitals also suggests that the number of cases needing hospitalisation haven’t increased. Admissions at the four medical school-and-superspecialty hubs are at an all-time low since the pandemic peaked in May.
“At the moment, we have 44 critical patients in KEM Hospital,” said dean Dr Hemant Deshmukh. During the first Covid peak in May, KEM had to commission 500-plus beds for Covid patients. The weekly number of admissions and deaths at the four hospitals are as follows: 59 admissions and 23 deaths in Nair Hospital, 53 admissions and three deaths in Sion Hospital, 37 admissions and two deaths in KEM in Parel and 64 admissions and six deaths in Cooper Hospital, Juhu. A senior doctor said if there is indeed a post-Diwali surge in numbers of cases, the only explanation would be that people have mild attacks that don’t need hospitalisation.
Mumbai city guardian minister Aslam Shaikh said the government was keeping a close watch on cases in the state and the city and as far as restricting travel to and from the city was concerned, a decision will be taken at the appropriate time. “We could also start screening passengers at railway stations and airports once again. Many countries have made Covid-negative certificates compulsory for travellers, we could also go for such a thing. No decision has been taken yet, but we are monitoring the situation,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai region added 1,977 cases and 17 fatalities. Thane city recorded 196 cases and 3 deaths on Saturday. The Kalyan-Dombivli belt reported 149 cases, taking its tally to 52,533. The toll there is 1,040. In Navi Mumbai, there were 169 cases on Saturday and four deaths.
(Inputs by Shrutika Sukhi, Vijay Singh & Umesh K Parida)