Maharashtra sees lowest daily cases in 3 months at 12,557; Mumbai 794 cases

Mumbai: Maharashtra on Sunday reported 12,557 new COVID-19 cases, lowest in three months, and 233 deaths, a day ahead of the graded level-wise unlocking in the state amid Covid pandemic.

The caseload in the state increased to 58,31,781 and the death toll to 100,130, the health department said.

The state reported less than 20,000 cases on the consecutive seventh day on Sunday

As many as 14,433 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, pushing the number of recovered cases to 55,43,267.

Maharashtra's recovery rate is now 95.05 per cent and the fatality rate is 1.72 per cent.

As 2,37,514 tests were conducted during the day, the overall test tally reached 3,65,08,967, it said.

As many as 13,46,389 people remain in home quarantine in the state with 6,426 institutionalised. As of today, there are 1,85,527 active cases.

Of these, Mumbai reported further dip in daily cases with 794 new cases and 20 deaths, taking its case tally to 7,11,601 and the toll to 15,038.

Mumbai division, which comprises the city and its satellite towns, reported 2,420 cases and 33 deaths. The case count there is now 15,48,494, while the number of deaths is 28,267.

Nashik division reported 1,194 cases, Pune division 2,999 cases, Kolhapur division 3,864 cases, including 1,152 in Kolhapur district, 850 in Sangli district, 629 in Sindhudurg and 777 in Ratnagiri.

Aurangabad division reported 373 cases, Latur division 570cases, Akola division 718 cases, Nagpur division 419 cases.

Maharashtra government has announced a five-level plan to relax the coronavirus-induced restrictions in the state from Monday, based on the weekly positivity rate and the occupancy of oxygen beds. A notification to this effect was issued on Friday night.

"The state government is taking a calculated risk and hence people have to take care of themselves. Nothing is going to be eased immediately. Some criteria and levels have been fixed and the local administration will take decisions on whether to ease restrictions and further tighten them," the chief minister said.

As per the 'unlock' notification, areas with positivity rate of five per cent or less and oxygen bed occupancy of less than 25 per cent will be in the first category, and can open up completely.

Whereas in the fifth category areas, with positivity rate of more than 20 per cent, only essential shops will remain open and office attendance will be capped at 15 per cent.