Pune: Pune recorded more than 5,000 cases, which continue to be the highest for any city in India. Sunday’s total of 5,421 was slightly lower than 5,591 reported on Saturday. Pune is now quite close to its all-time peak of 5,939 cases, passed on September 10 last year.

Of the 5,408 cases reported in the district on Sunday, Pune city (Pune Municipal Corporation) recorded 2,900 new cases followed by 1,416 in Pimpri Chinchwad (Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation). On the other side, rural parts of the district witnessed 809 new cases in last 24 hours while 189 and 94 cases were found in Councils and Cantonment, according the data released by the health department. The progressive tally of the cases in district stood at 4,69,478 on Sunday. Also, the district saw 32 people losing their lives amid the contagion. Of the 32 patients, 20 from Pune city succumbed to the novel virus. On the positive front, 2,531 people in the district were recovered on Sunday taking the total recoveries to 4,20, 966.

Pune from February end is witnessing a sharp surge in the number of daily cases, which is being called the second peak of the virus.

Apart from Pune, other regions in the state such as Mumbai, Nagpur, Thane and more are also witnessing a spurt in daily cases. Maharashtra has had a sharp rise in the number of cases in few weeks. In the three weeks of March, Maharashtra alone has added more than 3.24 lakh cases. This is comparable to the number of cases found in the entire country in February. No other state has ever reported more than 12,000 cases in a single day. Maharashtra on Sunday reported over 30,000 cases.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that a statewide lockdown is certainly an option but he still expects cooperation from people.