Mumbai: With COVID-19 graph still not flattening its curve, Maharashtra on Sunday reported over 63,000 new cases in its highest ever single-day rise along with 349 fatalities. With 63,294 new cases, the number of active cases in the state shot up to 5.65 lakh.
Worst-hit among all states in India and accounting for approximately half of its caseload, Maharashtra was under a weekend lockdown till Monday morning and has declared restrictions such as night curfew through the week.
Fighting exploding contagion numbers and shortages of vaccines, drugs and hospital beds, the state government is likely to decide a complete lockdown anytime soon.
On Sunday, Pune, the epicentre of the virus recorded 12,590 new cases followed by 16 deaths. Neighbouring city, Mumbai also saw 9,989 new cases and 58 deaths. Other districts in Maharashtra such as Nagpur also reported its biggest one-day spike of 6,791 cases and 34 deaths while Thane recorded 2,870 cases and two deaths followed by 3,332 cases and 20 deaths in Nashik.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday indicated the enforcement of a stringent lockdown in Maharashtra given the sharp surge in COVID-19 cases, as per some ministers and a senior BJP leader who attended an all-party meeting. Apart from senior ministers from the ruling Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, BJP State Chief Chandrakant Patil and other leaders also attended the meeting.
The state government had earlier last week declared extra restrictions such as weekend lockdowns and night curfews against the backdrop of rising cases of COVID-19. CM Thackeray also held a meeting with state’s task force on Sunday to discuss about the complete lockdown schedule in Maharashtra in coming days. During the meeting he discussed the availability of oxygen and beds, use of Remdesivir, treatment protocols, increase in capacity of facilities, imposition of restrictions and fines for violating COVID protocols.
