MUMBAI: Covid-19 cases and fatalities both in the state and the city reported a significant drop on Monday.
Maharashtra added 544 cases and four deaths-the lowest toll since three fatalities on April 1, 2020, while Mumbai added 191 cases and saw no deaths. It was the fourth time this month that the city reported zero deaths.
Officials, however, attributed the decline to the dip in testing during the weekend.
The total caseload of the state has risen to 66.5 lakh while the fatalities have touched 1,41,353. The four deaths reported on Monday came from Thane, Raigad, Pune and Sindhurdurg districts.
Due to the increase in cases over the past few days, active cases in the state have seen an increase. There are a total of 7,093 active cases in the state, of which over 2,000 are in Mumbai. Dr Shashank Joshi, a member of the state Covid taskforce, said the focus should be zero Covid deaths and less severe cases. "All eyes are on Omicron now and how it will play out in Maharashtra, where Delta caused a huge second wave," he said.
No new Omicron cases
Dr Joshi said Mumbai has been doing a good job in keeping Covid deaths and severe cases low, adding, "Now, people have to focus on masking and Covid-appropriate behaviour, while the state has to reach out to each unvaccinated person."
Dr Mangala Gomare, BMC's executive health officer, said they have heightened surveillance and made several testing facilities available. "The moment people have symptoms, they must get tested," she said. On Omicron, Dr Gomare said the city has treated 23 confirmed cases but only 10 of them are Mumbai residents. "Most cases could be detected at the airport before they went home or mingled with families. Therefore, we didn't have many positive contacts," she said.
Maharashtra's Omicron tally remained unchanged on Monday as no new cases were detected. The state has reported 54 cases till now of which 31 have already been discharged.
State officials said drop in temperatures may lead to a rise in other ailments such as cold and cough and with year-end festivities, there is a need to ensure Covid-appropriate behaviour is public places.
