COVID-19 Cases In Maharashtra Crosses 50,000, That Is Over One-Third Of The Infections In India

The COVID-19 outbreak situation in Maharashtra continues to remain a major concern as the state crossed another grim milestone. Maharashtra which has been the epicenter of coronavirus cases in the country has crossed 50,000 COVID-19 patients on Monday.

AFP

According to the health ministry's figures released today, Maharashtra now has a total of 50,231 cases including 1,635 deaths and 14,600 have recovered. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (Thane Division, comprises Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts) continued to cause grave concerns with 1,110 Covid-19 deaths and positive cases shooting to 38,585.

AFP

This comes to roughly one death every 25 minutes, and a staggering average 127 new cases recorded every hour in the state.

The state has been recording over 50 fatalities and over 2,000 new patients for the past one week now, with the previous highest figure standing at 2,940 cases on May 22. With 58 fatalities -- down by 18 from highest 76 notched on May 19 -- the state death toll has touched 1,635.

BCCL

The Health Department said with the new cases, 33,988 were 'active cases'. Maharashtra PWD Minister Ashok Chavan has also tested Covid-19 positive The former Chief Minister's condition has been described as asymptomatic and he is under treatment in Nanded, his home town.

He is the second Cabinet Minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government to test positive after Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad was diagnosed last month. After nearly a month's treatment, Awhad was fully cured and discharged.

51 more policemen have also tested positive for COVID-19 in Maharashtra, taking the total number of personnel affected by coronavirus in the state to 1,809 on Monday.

According to the police, the total number of cases includes 194 police officers and 1,615 other ranks. Out of the total affected persons, 18 have died due to the infection and 678 have recovered so far, Maharashtra Police said.

AFP

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray who held an online briefing on the prevailing coronavirus situation in the state and said that the fight against Covid-19 is going to be a ¡°tougher one¡± but the administration is prepared with extra medical facilities.

Thackeray cautioned against the rise in Covid-19 in the state and said that the administration is preparing and creating hospital infrastructure for an increase in load of Covid-19 cases. ¡°By the end of May, we will make 14,000 beds available, currently we have already created around 7,000 beds including 3,000 in our field hospitals,¡± he said.