Saturday witnessed the largest number of 12 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases reported in the State on a single day, taking the number of patients to 31.
Five people from Pimpri Chinchwad, including four from the big Dubai tour group, and one with travel history to Thailand, tested positive on Saturday. Other cases include the son of the 64-year-old man who was earlier admitted at Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai. Three others who tested positive in Mumbai include a 37-year-old with a travel history to U.S. and France and a 59-year-old with travel history to Philippines.
Two patients who tested positive from Yavatmal also had travelled to Dubai in the big tour group of 40 people. The seventh patient is a man from Nagpur with travel history to Qatar.
According to State health officials, all the patients are under observation and their contacts are being traced on a war footing. “Three patients who tested positive in Mumbai’s Kasturba Hospital are from Vashi, Kamothe and Kalyan,” said civic health officials. The son of the 64-year-old man who is the fourth patient to test positive on Saturday had also travelled with his father to Dubai. The duo had returned to Mumbai on March 5 and the father got admitted to Hinduja Hospital in Mahim on March 8 for an existing heart ailment. He tested positive on March 12 and his wife tested positive on Friday. More than 90 people, including staff at Hinduja Hospital who came in contact with the 64-year-old man are under isolation. The civic body has now initiated a fresh round contact tracing exercise.
Health officials said all travellers arriving from China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, France, Spain and Germany will be quarantined for 14 days as a precaution. On Saturday, one traveller was quarantined in Pune, and three at the Seven Hills hospital which has been newly-designated as a quarantine facility.
COVID-19 regulations
The ‘Maharashtra COVID-19 Regulations 2020’ was released on Saturday mandating all public and private hospitals to have separate corners for screening of patients with suspected exposure. The regulations called for people to voluntarily report to the authorities if they have a travel history to COVID-19 affected countries. The document also specified that action against Section 188 of the IPC will be initiated if any person or institution is found in violation of regulations.
