93% drop in a day? Only 12 cases in Mumbai, says government

April 18, 2020

MUMBAI: Even as Maharashtra’s Covid-19 death toll crossed 200, the total number of cases in Mumbai and the state showed a drastic reduction on Friday evening.

State officials pegged the tally at 3,320 cases, including 201 deaths, on Friday, even as the city tally rose by just 12 cases—93% lower than the 177 cases registered on Thursday. However, BMC data pegged the figure at 77. The state registered 118 cases —a drop of 59% over the previous day. The last time the state saw fewer than 200 cases in a day was on April 11 (187 cases).

The number of deaths—7 across the state—continued to be in single digits for the third day in a row. The case fatality rate for the state remained at 6.05% for the second day running. In Mumbai, which saw five deaths on Friday, it went from 5.64% to 5.85%.The state officials explained the mere 12-case increase in Mumbai’s tally by saying the government had only considered the numbers up to Friday afternoon; the civic corporation put out an increase of 77 cases by evening. According to BMC statistics, cases in the city dropped from 204 on Tuesday to 183 on Wednesday, and further to 107 on Thursday. The number dropped to double digits (77 cases) on Friday, after a week; the last time Mumbai had reported fewer than 100 cases was on April 8, where there were 79 cases.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya tweeted “HeraPheri by Thackeray Sarkar.” He alleged the BMC had changed guidelines to bring down corona-positive patients numbers. His tweet said 385 patients were admitted and 204 tested positive on April 14, the corresponding numbers were 261 and 183 on April 15, and 299 and 107 on April 16 and 201 and 77 on April 17. Dr Archana Patil from the state’s Directorate of Health Services didn’t comment on the dip in cases in Maharashtra but said more positive cases from Mumbai will be added to Saturday’s health bulletin.

Eight positive cases and three deaths were reported in Pune Metropolitan Region (Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and Pune rural) on Friday. The total positive cases there now stand at 565 and deaths at 48. The BMC update on Friday said five more deaths took place in the Greater Mumbai area, taking the city toll to 122.

The dead included three patients who had co-morbidities and two with age-related problems. Two hypertensive patients—a 58-year-old male and 56-year-old female who passed away within a day of admission—died due to Covid-19 in civic-run Sion Hospital. Two other male patients—a 61-year-old and a 51-year-old— had no co-morbidities but passed away at KEM Hospital, Parel, and Kasturba Hospital, Chinchpokli, respectively. A 40-year-old diabetic patient was the fifth victim on Friday; he died after a day’s hospitalisation at Shatabadi Hospital in Kandivli.

Meanwhile, the city’s hotspot, Dharavi, reported 15 new cases, taking the tally there to 101, including 10 deaths, in 17 days.

BMC officials said 48,332 people are under home quarantine as on April 17. Out of these, 3,913 people were shifted to institutional quarantine while 11,368 people have already completed their quarantine. They added that 201 suspected patients were admitted to various civic facilities on Friday even as 37 recovered and got discharged. Among those who tested positive from the city was a BEST bus conductor, raising alarm in the transport division. The entire staff was placed on high alert to take precautions. The BEST drivers and conductors are frontline staff who ferry essential workers daily.

Malegaon reported 14 new Covid-19 positive cases on Friday, the highest single-day count for the city. The total number of positive cases in the city now stands at 60, which forms the bulk of the 69 cases in Nashik district. All three deaths in the district due to the infection are also from Malegaon.

Five men from Thane city tested positive for the virus, taking the total cases to 115 in the satellite city so far. One case was reported from Dombivli while two more tested positive in Bhiwandi, taking the number of Covid-19 patients there to three in the powerloom town.

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Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com