Officials, however, see positives in the high percentage of symptomatic patients, say despite the high numbers they have organised enough beds to ensure no patient goes without one
Antigen tests conducted at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Railway Station on Wednesday. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
The city reported more than 5,000 cases on Wednesday, the maximum to date. BMC officials say this is the result of conducting over 40,000 tests on a single day. While the municipal commissioner has asked for 2,450 more beds to be allotted in private hospitals for COVID-19 patients, he claims of those who tested positive, 84 per cent were asymptomatic. Officials also say there is no need of a complete lockdown.
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The state recorded about 32,000 cases due to a higher number of cases in Mumbai as well as in the Pune circle. The state reported 95 deaths.
The city has been reporting over 3,000 cases from last week. But on Wednesday, the figure spiked to 5,185. “The BMC started conducting antigen tests at crowded places and around 21,900 antigen tests were conducted. The earlier average of antigen tests was 7,000. So the cases are seen increasing,” said an officer with the BMC. A total of 40,400 tests were conducted on Wednesday including RT-PCR and antigen. The earlier average of tests was 23,000 per day.
“Testing has gone to 40,000 and test positivity rate has dropped to 13.5 per cent from the earlier 18 per cent. There is no need to panic. Of those who tested positive, 84 per cent were asymptomatic and there is not much pressure on hospitals. More testing and isolation of those found positive is the best way to fight the pandemic. It will fasten herd immunity also,” said Iqbal Singh Chahal, municipal commissioner.
“In general, the proportion of asymptomatic patients is 80 per cent. Out of 15 per cent symptomatic patients, five per cent need hospitalisation,” said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner of the BMC.
At least 2,088 patients recovered and were discharged on Wednesday. But the number of active patients climbed up to 30,760 in Mumbai. The maximum number of active patients, around 34,000, was in mid-September.
The silver lining is that the number of deaths is under control. There were six deaths reported in the city. All had comorbidities. Five were above the age of 60 years and one was between 40 years and 60 years old.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) reported 9,147 cases, including the ones in Mumbai. Other cities like Thane recorded 827 cases, Navi Mumbai recorded 566 and Kalyan-Dombivli recorded 929. The MMR, excluding Mumbai, witnessed 9 deaths out of which five were reported in Kalyan-Dombivli.
Pune circle reported 7,562, Akola circle reported 1,760, Nashik with 4,109 and Nagpur with 4,833 took the number of cases to 31,855. Nagpur reported the highest number of deaths - 35. Nashik reported 12 and Pune reported 9 deaths. A total of 15,098 patients were discharged across Maharashtra, and the number of active cases increased to 2.47 lakh.
25,64,881 - Tal No. of cases in Maharashtra
9,147 - Total no. of cases reported in MMR in the last 24 hours
6 - No. of deaths in city on Tuesday (Both patients had comorbidities. One patient was between 40 and 60 years of age and one was above 60 years)
2,088 - Patients recovered and discharged in city on Wednesday
8,39,993 - (Total no. of people administered the first vaccine dose)
1,33,830 - (No. of people who have taken second vaccine dose so far)
30,715 - (No. of people who took their first vaccine dose on Wednesday)
3,918 - (No. of people who took their second vaccine dose on Wednesday)
5,185 - No. of new cases in Mumbai on Wednesday
40,400 - No. of tests including RT-PCR and antigen conducted on Wednesday
13.5% - The TPR of Mumbai
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