Thackeray calls for ramped-up vax drive
MUMBAI: Maharashtra on Monday recorded 1,426 Covid cases and 21 fatalities, with chief minister Uddhav Thackeray asking the local authorities to ramp up the vaccination drive to control the outbreak.
The surge in cases can be gauged from the fact that the number of active cases has now breached the 10,000-mark from 9,813 on Sunday. Significantly, three weeks ago on December 6, the state had 6,200 active cases.
Thackeray in a cabinet meeting expressed concern over the surge of cases and wanted concrete steps to speed up the vaccination drive. “The guardian ministers of the various districts should step in to boost the vaccination drive,” said Thackeray. Maharashtra on Monday reported 26 new Omicron cases, taking the total tally to 167. Of the 26 new cases, 11 are from Mumbai, five from Raigad, four from Thane, two from Nanded and one each from Pune rural, Nagpur, Palghar and Bhivandinizampur.
Till now, 13,16,17,887 vaccine doses have been administered in Maharashtra. A total of 5,19,33,039 citizens have been fully vaccinated ie 56 per cent of the targeted population of 91,50 million. According to the health department, the second dose of around 10.20-10.30 million people in the state is due and efforts are being made to complete their vaccination.
According to a report issued by the state government, Mumbai now has the most number of Omicron cases in the state with 84 followed by Pune at 24 and Pimpri-chinchwad with 19. Thane has recorded seven cases while Satara, Panvel and Osmanabad have five cases each, Nagpur district has three while there are two each in Kalyan-dombivli, Aurangabad and Nanded. To date, 72 have been discharged following a negative RT-PCR test. Mumbai tally of new cases was 788, with three deaths. The positivity rate on Monday stayed at 1.51 %.