Record spike takes Maha case tally past 30K; toll jumps by 67

MUMBAI: Maharashtra on Saturday recorded its highest singleday jump in Covid-19 cases with 1,606 new infections, bringing the case count past 30,000 to 30,706.

The state’s toll jumped by 67 deaths to 1,135.

Only 22 of the 67 deaths occurred in the 24-hour period, while the remaining – 45 -- deaths had occurred between April 14 and May 14 and were added to the total on Saturday, the state health department said.

Of the 67 casualties, Mumbai recorded 41, taking its death toll to 696.

Besides Mumbai, Thane and Pune recorded seven deaths each, five in Aurangabad, three in Jalgaon, two in Mira-Bhayander and one each in Nashik and Solapur.

On Saturday, Mumbai recorded 884 new coronavirus infections, taking the tally to 18,555, the state health department said. Pune recorded 161 new Covid-19 cases, while Thane recorded 114, Navi Mumbai 105 and Aurangabad 93.

The state has so far registered 15,181 cases in the third phase of the lockdown, which is higher than the total it recorded in the 19-day lockdown between April 15 and May 3. In the second phase of the lockdown, Maharashtra recorded 11,627 Covid-19 cases.

State health minister Rajesh Tope said that the lockdown has helped restrict the spread of the disease in the state. He added that the doubling rate has also increased during the lockdown period in Mumbai and the overall state.

The doubling rate — the number of days it takes for Covid-19 cases to double — has improved, he said. The state’s doubling rate is at 11.5 days, while Mumbai’s stands at 14 days.

State health minister Rajesh Tope said, “The doubling rate has increased to 14 days in Mumbai now. This is a big improvement from the earlier doubling rate of 7 to 8 days. Elsewhere in the state, too, we are trying to contain the spread in hotspots. We are working towards stricter enforcement of lockdown in such containment areas, so that cases reduce.”

The state health minister has already said that Maharashtra would see the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak by June-end. He said that they are preparing for a projection of over 50,000 cases in Mumbai in three weeks. “There are various projects. Some mathematical projections haven’t been accurate, but we are preparing for the worst. Currently, Mumbai has about 17,500 cases. It could increase three times by around June 20; so it would go over 50,000. We are preparing accordingly,” he said.

SATISH BATE/HT PHOTO A doctor takes a swab sample of a resident of Dharavi, on Saturday.