State sees sudden jump in 3,000 new COVID-19 cases

CRPF jawans on duty at Shastri Nagar in Bandra West on Friday. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Maharashtra recorded one of the sharpest spikes in COVID-19 cases on Friday at 2,940, of which 1,751 came in from Mumbai. This has pushed the state's tally to 44,582 cases. Of the total, 30,474 patients are currently being treated at various COVID facilities and 12,583 have already recovered.

According to state health department officials, 63 deaths were reported in the state on Friday of which 27 were in Mumbai, nine in Pune, eight in Jalgaon, five in Solapur, three in Vasai-Virar, three in Aurangabad, two in Satara and one each in Malegaon, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Ulhasnagar, Panvel and Nagpur. While 28 of the deceased were senior citizens, 43 were suffering from other ailments.

After several weeks, the work on the COVID care centre at BKC grounds for mild symptomatic patients, is finally complete. Civic officials said that it would be functional from Saturday. "We have tied up with the Asian Heart Institute and if any of the patients at the centre develop severe symptoms, they can be admitted to the ICU there," said a senior civic official, adding that there was a provision for 30 patients. Meanwhile, the centre at NESCO exhibition grounds is also nearly complete and is expected to be functional by Monday. Civic officials said that Dr Neelam Andrade, dean of Nair Dental Hospital would run the facility at NESCO in Goregaon.

A day after the state government issued regulations to limit the charges levied by private hospitals on 80 per cent of the beds, the civic body's disaster management department set up a live dashboard to keep track of the availability of beds. Civic officials said that a team would handle information about the same and also transfer of patients. The department has a dedicated helpline for COVID-related queries since April 24 and till date they have received 69,407 phone calls from citizens. About 48 staff members, who work in three shifts, handle the calls. Officials said that on a daily basis, the helpline receives around 4,000 calls.

Meanwhile, Dharavi reported 53 new cases, taking the total count in the area to 1,500. The new cases include 15 patients from Matunga Labour Camp and seven from Kumbharwada.

There were 23 new cases from Mahim, including three from the New Mahim Police Colony and 13 from Dadar.

44,582
Active coronavirus cases in maha as of today

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