Active cases breach 10k-mark, CM calls for ramped-up vax drive

Mumbai Maharashtra on Monday recorded 1,426 Covid cases and 21 fatalities, with chief minister Uddhav Thackeray asking the local authorities to ramp up the vaccination drive to control the outbreak.

The surge in cases can be gauged from the fact that the number of active cases has now breached the 10,000-mark from 9,813 on Sunday. Significantly, three weeks ago on December 6, the state had 6,200 active cases.

Thackeray in a cabinet meeting expressed concern over the surge of cases and wanted concrete steps to speed up the vaccination drive. “The guardian ministers of the various districts should step in to boost the vaccination drive,” said Thackeray.

Maharashtra on Monday reported 26 new Omicron cases, taking the total tally to 167. Of the 26 new cases, 11 are from Mumbai, five from Raigad, four from Thane, two from Nanded and one each from Pune rural, Nagpur, Palghar and Bhivandi-Nizampur.

All the patients have a history of international travel, except two, who are high-risk contacts of a person with international travel history. These 26 cases have 14 males and 12 females and four are below 18 years and two are senior citizens above 60 years.

Till now, 13,16,17,887 vaccine doses have been administered in Maharashtra. A total of 5,19,33,039 citizens have been fully vaccinated ie 56 per cent of the targeted population of 91,50 million. According to the health department, the second dose of around 10.20-10.30 million people in the state is due and efforts are being made to complete their vaccination.

According to a report issued by the state government, Mumbai now has the most number of Omicron cases in the state with 84 followed by Pune at 24 and Pimpri-Chinchwad with 19. Thane has recorded seven cases while Satara, Panvel and Osmanabad have five cases each, Nagpur district has three while there are two each in Kalyan-Dombivli, Aurangabad and Nanded. This is one case each in Buldhana, Latur, Akola, Bhivandi-Nizampur, Navi Mumbai, Palghar, Mira-Bhayander, Ahmednagar and Vasai-Virar.

To date, 72 have been discharged following a negative RT-PCR test.

Mumbai tally of new cases was 788, with three deaths.

The positivity rate on Monday stayed at 1.51 %. There are currently 10,441 active cases, of which Mumbai tops with 4,765 cases followed by Pune with 2,005 and Thane with 1,397 cases.

The death toll has now reached 1,41,454 with Pune leading with 19,802 deaths followed by Mumbai with 16,373 and Thane with 11,593.

Dr Ishwar Gilada, secretary-general, Organised Medicine Academic Guild, said that the cases are bound to exponentially increase in the coming days. “We need to vaccinate as well as follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. We need to avoid large gatherings,” said Dr Gilada.