Maharashtra records 2,940 new cases, 1,084 patients discharged

Official data for the day released by Maharashtra government showed there were 34,881 active cases in the state, of which 19,745 were in Mumbai.

According to the state government, 2.78 lakh beds, including 8,501 are intensive care units, were available for Covid-19 patients which is over four times the current number of cases. There are 3,067 ventilators and a vast majority remains unused, state officials said, adding that so far 4.47 lakh tests have been conducted in the state.

To prevent possible infection spread, the state government is now planning to penalise people found spitting tobacco in public places. Spitting in public places has been prohibited since long, but no measures have been taken in the past to penalise offenders.

The state government is planning to use the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, to impose a fine of Rs 1,000 and one-day public service on first-time offenders. If caught the second time, an offender will have to shell out Rs 3,000 and three-day public service. Third-time offenders will have to pay Rs 5,000 fine and provide five days of public service.

Meanwhile, Mumbai on Saturday recorded 54 Covid-19 deaths, while seven deaths were recorded at Vasai-Virar and Panvel each, followed by Thane, Pune and Solapur, each reporting six deaths. Three deaths were reported from Raigad and Jalgaon each, and two from Navi Mumbai and Kalyan each. At least one death was reported from Nagpur. Among the dead were a Rajasthan native, who died in Panvel, and a Bihar native, who died in Mumbai.

In Mumbai, at least 14 of the 54 people had died between May 25 and 28, while 39 had co-morbidities. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials said 75-80 per cent of the of total people infected by coronavirus are asymptomatic, 15-18 per cent have moderate symptoms, like cough and fever, while in 5-7 per cent patients the illness has aggravated seriously.

There are 3,169 containment zones across Maharashtra.

Seven deaths reported in Vidarbha

Nagpur: Five coronavirus-related deaths were reported from Vidarbha Saturday, while two other cases, including a suicide, were reported from Chandrapur. Both the persons from Chandrapur, officials said, had been quarantined and tested negative for the virus.

Chandrapur Collector Kunal Khemnar said, “A 30-year-old man committed suicide by hanging himself to a ceiling fan in the room where he was quarantined at Government Engineering College. He had himself come for quarantine after going missing for a few days. The reason for his suicide is not known. In another case, a 40-year-old man quarantined along with his family died of heart attack.” Both the persons tested negative for the virus, he added.

Yavatmal also recorded its first Covid-19 death Saturday. “A 45-year-old woman, who had returned from Mumbai along with 19 relatives, on May 19, died today while undergoing treatment. We have taken samples of all 19 persons, including the woman’s husband and son,” Yavatmal Collector M D Singh said.

With inputs from Vivek Deshpande