Mumbai: Covid-19 cases fall in May, but deaths remain high, shows BMC data

The BMC carried out fewer tests in May, as compared to April. Pic/Suresh Karkera

The marauding march of the Covid-19 pandemic slowed down in May, with the first 28 days of the month reporting over 51,000 cases - about 23 per cent of the infections recorded in April. However, deaths from the infectious disease remained higher than the previous month, show BMC data. Though cases in May saw a four-fold rise over the first wave, deaths remained comparatively fewer.

The BMC carried out fewer tests in May, as compared to April. Pic/Suresh Karkera

After a lull of a few months, cases began surging in the city around mid-February. There were 16,001 cases in January with 234 deaths and 17,473 cases in February with 115 deaths. The infections rose five times in March, with fatalities restricted to 230.

2.29 lakh cases in April

However, all hell broke loose in April and the city reported over 11,000 cases on the fourth day of the month, the highest ever in a single day. In the entire month, the total number of cases stood at 2.29 lakh against 60,547 at the peak of the first wave in September 2020.

The wave started ebbing in the third week of April and the slide continued through May with minor ups and downs. With 51,977 cases, May also registered a lower test positivity rate. In April 13.32 lakh tests were conducted and the average TPR was over 17.2 per cent. Though about 7.68 lakh tests have been carried out in May, the TPR is 6.7 per cent, showing signs of relief.

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The effect of the peak of the second wave was also felt in May, with 1,582 people falling prey to the infectious disease till 28th of the month. In just April and May, the city lost 3,129 citizens to Coronavirus compared to 14,833 deaths recorded since March 2020. Last July had seen the highest number of deaths at 1,766, followed by 1,606 fatalities in October 2020.

"Though this time the hospitalisation of younger people increased, most of them recovered. The death rate is lower than the first wave," said an official with the BMC.

17.2%
The test positivity rate of Coronavirus in the city in April

6.7%
The test positivity rate of Coronavirus in the city in May