With 1,362 fresh cases of coronavirus and 47 deaths, the total tally of confirmed cases of the COVID-19 in Maharashtra crossed the 18,000 mark, said Health Minister Rajesh Tope. While 207 patients were discharged on Thursday, the total number of discharged patients in the state stood at 3,301 with 694 deaths taking place due to COVID-19.
While addressing a press conference, Tope said that the migrant labourers who want to go to their native places need not procure medical certificates as only thermal checking will be done. He said that the state government took the decision to avoid big queues outside doctors' clinics.
In a worrying incident, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said that 103 people including 77 inmates and 26 police personnel of Mumbai's Arthur Road jail tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Deshmukh said that all the 103 people will be sent to Saint George's Hospital for COVID-19 treatment.
In photo: Migrants from Dharavi prepare to leave in a tourist bus for their home town amid lockdown in the city.
Dharavi, which is one of the worse affected areas in Mumbai reported a total of 50 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday thereby taking the total to 783. While no new coronavirus death was reported from the area, the total number of people who succumbed to the deadly virus in Dharavi stands at 21, the BMC said.
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar ordered a probe after a video of bodies wrapped in black-coloured plastic kept on beds right next to patients in a Mumbai hospital went viral, which ignited a major political controversy. The Mayor personally visited the hospital and ordered an investigation. She said that the guilty will be punished
Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray interacted with leaders of all party including MNS chief Raj Thackeray, Maharashtra BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, Congress leader Ashok Chavan among others. The ruling government received suggestions, objections and full cooperation at the all-party meet on Thursday.
In photo: A kid enjoys a game with a bicycle tyre on an empty road in the streets of Dharavi amid lockdown in the city.
In an unprecedented move, Panvel which was declared as an orange zone was moved to red zone in less than 24 hours after six news coronavirus positive cases were found in the area. Among the new cases are two APMC staffers, a police officer, a kidney patient, a homemaker and a BEST employee. Panvel Municipal Corporation has a total of 113 coronavirus cases.
After losing three employees due to the COVID-19 infection, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) has formed 'crack teams' to tackle the coronavirus crisis. BEST's Rapid Action Teams involve various heads of departments who act swiftly when a coronavirus positive case is found. On a positive note, four more workers of BEST successfully recovered from the global epidemic taking the number of recoveries to 11.
Meanwhile, nearly 50 students from hostels run by the Social Welfare Department in Mumbai's Worli area have requested the state government to let them go home amid the lockdown. The students, who mostly hail from rural Maharashtra have urged the governemnt to make transportaion arrangements just like they did for the students who were stranded in Kota.
On Thursday, BMC commissioner Praveen Pardeshi amended a previous order and allowed reopening of standalone electronics and hardware shops in the city during the coronavirus lockdown. Pardeshi said that essential and life-saving medical equipment, IT systems related to health systems and machines, vehicles are in a state of disrepair due to closing down of electronics and hardware shops.
In a shocking incident, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) secretary Sanjay Naik and three more members were booked by the Bandra police for opposing the burial of a COVID-19 dead body in Muslim Kabaristan. In his defence, Naik said that he objected to the burial as members who had come with the dead body didn't have proper documents.
A 58-year-old assistant sub-inspector posted at Solapur MIDC police station succumbed to COVID-19 on Thursday. The sub-inspector was admitted to the civil hospital on Tuesday after he tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The cop died while he was undergoing treatment at the hospital. With this, five police personnel from the state have so far succumbed to the global epidemic.
In a heartening development, a 106-year-old man identified as Mukhtar Ahmed, a resident of Central Delhi's Nawabganj successfully recovered from coronavirus and was discharged from the Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital. The centenarian was admitted to the hospital on April 14 after he tested positive for COVID-19. After battling the novel coronavirus, Ahmed was discharged on May 1.
Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani paid rich tributes to poet and lyricist Gulzar for making everyone's lives happier with his magical work even during the lockdown. While sharing the details of the conversation that she had with the renowned poet, Smriti said that she had the privilege of being inspired by his craft over the years.
In order to avoid crowding and minimise the footfall at liquor stores across the state, the West Bengal State Beverages Corporation (WBSBCL), on Thursday launched an eRetail portal for online booking and home delivery of liquor. As per WBSBCL website, any person, who 21 and above, can register as a buyer on the portal for getting home delivery of liquor.
In photo: A driver sanitises his car which has been used by the BMC to battle COVID-19 infection.
On Thursday, AIIMS-Delhi Director Dr Randeep Guleria said that the way coronavirus cases in India are rising, it is likely that peak can come in June and July. Dr. Guleria said that though there are many variables, as the time progresses, we will know how much they are effective and the effect of extending the lockdown.
A top naval officer said that the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits developed by the Indian Navy has obtained clearance certification for mass production. The kits were tested by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences based in Delhi and now, after certifications, it can be used in clinical COVID-19 situations.
Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that till May 7, a total of 52,952 cases have been reported from the country. He noted that in comparison to other countries, India is in a better condition as the fatality rate is 3.3 per cent and recovery rate is 28.83 per cent. The minister also said that 4.8 percent patients are in ICU, 1.1 per cent on ventilators and 3.3 percent on oxygen support of the active cases.
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