Pune Is Now Recording Highest Number Of COVID Cases In The Country & Is India's Biggest Hotspot

After Mumbai, another district in Maharashtra is under the severe grip of the novel coronavirus.

Over the past one week, the number of cases in Pune have spiralled. The district, until now, appeared to have managed the crisis while it had its first COVID case before it was detected in Mumbai, a hotspot.

However, since the beginning of July, Pune has been among the five worst-affected districts of India, other being Bengaluru, Thane, Chennai and Mumbai.

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Until recently, Thane was the worst-affected district.

Pune cases twice as many each day as Mumbai

Alarmingly, Pune now has twice as many cases each day as Mumbai while its population is almost half of Mumbai.

As of now, cases are growing faster in Mumbai than in Maharashtra on an average.

On Monday, Pune reported 2,601 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, its highest single-day surge. A health department official said the death toll rose to 1,387 with 44 more patients succumbing to the infection.

Also, 830 patients were discharged from hospitals in the western Maharashtra district during the same period.

Pune's health infrastructure is now crumbling under the pressure of COVID cases. According to reports, at least five people have died in the last few days while waiting for an ICU bed.

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Amid reports of shortage of beds and ICU facilities, hospital beds have been added in the district.

Hospital beds increasing daily

In Sassoon General Hospitals, 50 more beds have been added, while ICU beds are being increased in private hospitals like Budhrani, Dalvi and Jupiter, said District Collector Naval Kishore Ram.

He added that some hospitals will be declared as 100 per cent COVID ones.

"There will be 1000 oxygen beds which will be added in rural parts in the next few days and doctors and nurses will also be deployed," he said.

Pune is currently testing 8-10 thousand people on a daily basis, including the rapid antigen tests.