Maharashtra Covid-19 cases update: Starting today, Maharashtra will undergo a complete lockdown on weekends to curb the spread of rising coronavirus cases in the state. The weekend lockdown will begin at 8 pm Fridays and continue until 7 am Mondays. The new curbs, called ‘Break the Chain’, were announced on April 4 and are to remain in force till the end of the month.
Maharashtra reported 56,286 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, which took its caseload to 32,29,547, while 376 deaths due to the infection pushed the toll to 57,028, the health department said. On Wednesday, the state had recorded the highest daily count of 59,907 cases and 322 fatalities.
Maharashtra is among the fastest-growing states in the country in terms of caseload.
Here are the latest Covid-19 developments from Maharashtra
No stock, many Mumbai vaccination centres shut down, more to follow today
With Covid-19 vaccine stock over, at least 25 of 120 private vaccination centres in Mumbai were shut on Thursday. By Friday, the numbers will double and from Saturday, Mumbai will be forced to completely stop vaccinations if stocks are not replenished, said officials, adding that the city is left with less than a lakh doses. Hospitals like Fortis, SL Raheja, Breach Candy, SRCC, Parsee General and Holy Family hospital turned away eligible beneficiaries on Thursday.
Swab testing by health workers at Juhu beach in Mumbai. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)
Maharashtra faces bed shortage, Nagpur worst affected
An analysis of bed availability in eight cities shows that vacancy for oxygen, ventilator and ICU beds is only between 3 to 18 per cent. Nagpur is the worst affected. On Thursday, it had only three ventilator beds left.
Even though municipal corporations are working overtime to increase bed capacity in these cities, the rising caseload make patients face an uphill task in accessing beds for treatment. Mumbai on Thursday had 16.9 per cent oxygen, ICU and ventilators available, down from 17.9 per cent. Pune’s bed vacancy dipped from 14.3 to 13.3 per cent and Nashik saw steepest drop in a day, from 20 to 18.2 per cent.
Pune’s bed vacancy dipped from 14.3 to 13.3 per cent
Centre okays more Covid-19 vaccine doses, Maharashtra not in top 5
A day after a heated exchange of words between Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and Maharashtra over the latter’s demand for more vaccine stock, the Centre Thursday increased the state’s allocation to 17.43 lakh doses — from 7.43 lakh it had been assured on April 1. Kerala’s supply was also scaled up, from 4.74 to 7.74 lakh doses. The fresh stock is expected in the next few days.
However, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said the stock will still be insufficient. An order by the Union Health Ministry, accessed by The Indian Express, shows that 350 lakh Covishield doses are to be distributed in the coming days — Uttar Pradesh will receive 44.98 lakh doses, Madhya Pradesh 33.76 lakh, Karnataka 29.06 lakh, Haryana 24 lakh, West Bengal 21 lakh, Maharashtra 17.43 lakh, and Gujarat 15.57 lakh.
The Opposition has been alleging that the Centre is favouring BJP-ruled states in vaccine supply.
Pimpri-Chinchwad halts vaccination drive due to shortage of doses; Aundh centre to remain open
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) on Friday shut down all its 87 vaccination centres — 59 of its own and 28 private ones — owing to shortage of vaccines. However, the Pune Zilla Parishad said citizens from Pimpri-Chinchwad can get vaccinated at the Aundh General Hospital.
Man caught with 12 Remdesivir injections in Mumbai
A 22-year-man was caught with a dozen 12 vials of Remdesivir, a key medicine in treatment of coronavirus, here, police said on Friday. The man, Sarfaraz Hussain, was caught by the Crime Branch with the injections at Andheri (East) on Thursday evening, an official said. According to the official, the Crime Branch laid a trap after getting information abut the man trying to sell the anti-viral drug in the black market.
Uddhav to PM: Urge leaders not to play politics in Covid fight
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address all political leaders and instruct them not to play politics in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, said a statement issued by his office. Thackeray’s request to Modi came a day after Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan lashed out at Maharashtra and some other states, accusing them of “trying to divert attention from their poor vaccination efforts by just continuously shifting the goalposts”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a virtual meeting with Chief Ministers during a Covid-19 review meeting. (Source: Narendra Modi/ YouTube)
