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SATURDAY, A PRIL 2 5, 2 02 0
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Mumbai cases high due to
aggressive testing: Govt
GOING UP Officials say results are on expected lines; 70 to 80% asymptomatic
Sachin Kalbag, Eeshanpriya MS
and Rupsa Chakraborty
htreporters@hindustnatimes.com
n
MUMBAI: Mumbai reported 522
Covid-19 cases Thursday, the
highest single-day jump for any
Indian city. Mumbai is also the
worst hit city with 4,205 cases
recorded until Friday morning.
Since April 13 (242 cases in 24
hours), Mumbai has consistently
recorded the highest one-day
increase among Indian cities,
with the only exception: April 17,
when it reported 12 cases. Even
the exception was because of the
exclusion of private lab results.
Here are Mumbai’s single-day
jumps for the last 10 days: April
14: 216; April 15: 140; April 16: 177;
April 17: 12; April 18: 183; April 19:
456; April 20: 308; April 21: 419;
April 22: 232; April 23: 522; April
24: 242.
What explains the financial
capital’s high numbers?
Intensive contact tracing, test-
ing and quarantining of high-risk
individuals has contributed to
the consistently high numbers,
according to the health depart-
ment officials of Maharashtra
and Mumbai “Between 40% and
45% of our total cases are [the
result of] efforts at contact trac-
ing and fever camps in contain-
ment zones,” said Dr Daksha
Shah, deputy health officer of the
Brihanmumbai Municipal Cor-
poration (BMC). According to
BMC data on April 24, at least
400,000 people have been
screened across 813 containment
zones in the city (the number of
containment zones increased to
930 on April 23), and at the airport
since the Covid-19 outbreak.
Simultaneously, Maharashtra’s
health department has screened
Maha bans roadside fish
Deaths cross 300 in Maharashtra stalls, wholesale allowed
Faisal Malik
n faisla.malik@htlive.com
MUMBAI:Maharashtra’s death toll
in the coronavirus disease out-
break passed 300 on Friday and
the number of patients was
within striking distance of 7,000.
Maharashtra detected 394 new
cases of Covid-19 on Friday, tak-
ing the total to 6,817, including
5,279 in the Mumbai Metropoli-
tan Region. Eighteen more deaths
-- 11 of them in Mumbai-- took the
state’s toll to 301. In Mumbai
alone, the case count went up to
4,447 as 242 new cases were regis-
Though it's been two years you left us, it feels like you are always with
us. We miss you every day as we recall your voice resonating in the
house. You were a devoted wife and a caring mother. Your presence
was a great source of inspiration for all of us. You touched every heart
and with your peaceful smile, you helped us grow in life.
Rajiv & Savvy Nath
Renu & Inder Mohan Puri,
Ritu & Pawan Kohli
Mansi, Tarun, Kunal, Tanya,
Karan & Sohail
Naths, Sareens, Vashishts
& Sarins Families
n A ‘no entry’ notice pasted by authorities outside a Mumbai hospital
on Friday.
2.726 million people across the
affected districts. Nearly 2 mil-
lion of these are in Mumbai.
A senior BMC officer who
asked not to be named said: “We
have to consider the remaining
55% as well. These are coming
from the untraced population,
but the good thing is that many of
them are coming voluntarily [for
testing] and it is only later that
our health officers realise that
they are contacts of existing
patients.”According to data anal-
ysis of positive patients by the
Maharashtra Medical Education
and Drugs Department (MEDD),
81% of state’s patients are asymp-
tomatic. Mumbai’s numbers are
similar (80%).
Notably, although the cases
are rising, the mortality rate in
Maharashtra is dipping. On April
12, it was 7.41%. This reduced to
4.4% on April 23. On April 12, of
tered.
The growing number of coro-
navirus cases despite the lock-
down, which was imposed in the
state at midnight on March 23,
prompted the government of
chief minister Uddhav Thack-
eray to cancel all the relaxations
that took effect on April 21.
Maharashtra took 30 days to
cross 1,000 cases on April 7, and
exceeded 2,000 in six days. From
2,000 to 4,000 cases on April 19, it
took six days. But for the number
of cases to rise from 4,000 to 6,000
cases, it took only four days.
Although the numbers are
Smt. Indira Rani Nath
19.11.1931 - 25.04.2018
(wife of Late Shri Narindra Nath)
We love you and miss you.
Fondly remembered by
SATISH BATE/HT PHOTO
the 1,996 patients detected, 148
had succumbed to the infection.
Until Thursday night, Maharash-
tra recorded 6,427 cases with 283
deaths.
Mumbai’s mortality rate has
fallen too. On April 12, it was
7.09% (92 deaths and 1298 posi-
tives). This fell to 3.97% on April
23 (167 deaths and 4205 positives).
“Identification and quarantin-
ing of high-risk contacts has been
helpful in keeping Mumbai’s
numbers realistic. We will see
high figures, but there is no rea-
son to panic because these are
expected results,” a state govern-
ment health official said. “We are
aggressively testing a large num-
ber of high-risk contacts.”
As of April 23, Maharashtra
had conducted 96,369 tests, of
which 55,000 (or 57.07%) were in
Mumbai, according to Mumbai
municipal commissioner Prav-
high, senior officials said the state
was yet to reach the community
transmission stage, and there
had been no exponential growth
in 19 cases. Community transmis-
sion is deemed to have started if
the source of infection of a patient
cannot be traced.
“The two 14-day cycles of incu-
bation of infection were com-
pleted on April 20. It had begun
from March 22 when interna-
tional traffic was stopped. We will
have to wait for another seven
days to see the rising trend,” said
Dr T P Lahane, head of the Direct-
orate of Medical Education and
All at HMD Family
Hindustan Syringes &
Medical Devices Ltd.
www.hmdhealthcare.com
een Pardeshi. Maharashtra has
recorded 89,561 negative samples.
The remainder are repeat tests.
On April 24, the number of
tests in Maharashtra went up to
102,189, but Mumbai’s numbers
were not immediately available.
According to data available
with states on per million tests till
April 22, Andhra Pradesh leads
with 830 tests per million (41,512
total tests till that day), followed
by Tamil Nadu (781 per million,
53,045 total tests) and Maharash-
tra (665 per million tests). Gujarat
is fourth with 604 per million tests
(36,829 total tests).
As of April 23, the number of
home-quarantined people in the
state was 114,398, while 8,702 were
in institutional quarantine,
according to data from state
health department. In Mumbai,
98,000 people are in government-
enforced quarantine — 92,000 at
home (in containment zones and
hot spots) and 6,000 in institu-
tional quarantine facilities.
Pardeshi said: “A significant
proportion of Mumbai’s cases are
those that have already been
quarantined and those under
observation. The ones that are
testing positive, BMC had
already anticipated in some
measure that they may have the
virus.”
“Between 70-80% of the city’s
active cases are asymptomatic,”
BMC deputy health officer Shah
said on Thursday. “It is good that
so many positive patients are
asymptomatic, because they
don’t easily spread the disease. In
fact, these patients are adding to
our collective immunity. It is the
symptomatic ones we have to pay
attention to. We need to treat
their symptoms before they get
worse.”
Research (DMER). “If the rise
continues and if the number of
fresh cases is rising more than
50% (over the previous day) on a
daily basis then it can be called
exponential growth and then the
state will also have to extend the
lockdown period for another
three weeks.”
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra
government is set to start clinical
trials of plasma therapy after
receiving approval from the
Indian Council of Medical
Research (ICMR). The state has
also got permission for pool test-
ing for Covid-19
HIN DUSTA N TIMES, N EW D E LHI
CORONAVIRUS: NATION
THE SPREAD OF COVID-19
Total confirmed cases including new cases added on April 24 New cases Recovered cases
UT J&K
454
Punjab
20 103
UT Ladakh
18
Himachal Pradesh
0 16
Arunachal
Pradesh
1 0 1
298 15 103 40 0 18 Assam
Haryana Chandigarh 36 0 19
27 0 15
275 5 186
Uttarakhand Meghalaya
DELHI
2514 48 1 25 12 0 1
138 857
Uttar Pradesh
Rajasthan 1621 111 226 Manipur
2008 71 475 2 0 2
Mizoram
Gujarat 1 0 0
2815 191 265 I N D I A
Tripura
Madhya Pradesh 2 0 2
1846 159 210
Bihar West Bengal
Chhattisgarh 214 61 45 514 58
36 0 30 103
Jharkhand
Maharashtra 57 4 8 Andaman
6817 390 957 Odisha and Nicobar
22 0 11
94 5 33
Telangana
Andhra Pradesh
Goa
983 13 291
955 62 145 24,404
Total number of
Puducherry cases across India*
7 0 7 8 0 4
Karnataka
474 29 152
Kerala
450 3 335
Tamil Nadu
1755 72 866
778
Deaths due to
Covid-19 across India
*Data compiled by covid19india.org and cross-checked from inputs by HT’s correspondents and news agencies
Tripura free from
Covid cases, says
CM Biplab Deb
Badri Chatterjee Priyanka Deb Barman
n badri.chatterjee@hindustantimes.com n priyanka.barman@htlive.com
MUMBAI: Maharashtra has issued AGARTALA: Tripura Chief Minister
restrictions on the fishing trade, Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday
including a ban on retail sale at said the state has become free
roadside markets, even as other from coronavirus disease Cov-
restrictions are being slowly id-19 after its second patient
lifted. Earlier this week, the fish- tested negative.
eries department published a “ ...The second corona patient
43-point standard operating pro- of Tripura has been found NEG-
cedure (SOP) to tackle the Cov- ATIVE after consecutive tests.
id-19 pandemic. Hence, our State has become
Among major directions, Corona free. I request everyone
wholesalers can sell their catch to maintain Social distancing
while maintaining social distanc- and follow Government guide-
ing norms but retail fish sale has lines. Stay Home Stay Safe,” Deb
been banned until further notice, n Only three people will be allowed as crew for small boats. If a tweeted.
to avoid crowds. member falls ill, the catch has to be destroyed. PRAMOD THAKUR/HT FILE Out of the two Covid-19
“Safety of citizens is of utmost patients, the first one - a woman
importance. The decision is such sites in the Mumbai region the district collector with fisher- - was released from the isolation
mainly focused on fishers who set will be directly affected. No such ies department members, will ward of a hospital in Agartala on
up stalls at sections of the market, decision has been taken for ven- issue permits based on valid iden- April 16 after she was found neg-
landing sites or main roads,” said dors selling agricultural produce. tity proof, health documents, and ative following consecutive
Rajendra Jadhav, joint commis- We demand this SOP be with- information of family members, tests.A Tripura State Rifles
sioner, state fisheries depart- drawn,” said Damodar Tandel, submitted through the Aarogya (TSR) soldier was also found pos-
ment. “It comes as a difficult deci- president of a fishing group in Setu mobile app. “This is being oitive for the Sars-CoV-2 corona-
sion as lots of fisherwomen are Mumbai. done across 91 fish landing sites virus.
employed in such activities The department has approved and three major harbors [two in “The second coronavirus pos-
across the Konkan but we were door-to-door supply of fish while Mumbai and one in Ratnagiri],” itive patient tested negative on
left with no option following over- maintaining distancing norms. said Jadhav. “A proposal for Thursday. He will be again
crowding incidents being Other restrictions include medi- mandatory thermal testing is in tested on Friday. If reports come
brought to our notice.” cal screening of fishing boat staff its final stage of approval.” Other negative, we will release him
Fisherfolk have opposed the and monitoring of boat move- rules include ‘social distancing from the hospital,” said Law
move. “Fisherwomen across 350 ments. A committee, chaired by during fishing at sea’. Minister Ratan Lal Nath.
KERALA
In Loving Memory of
62-year-old woman
Smt. KRISHNA DEVI
11.07.1945 - 25.04.2011 negative in 20th test
Deeply missed & Fondly
She tested negative
& Grand Children.
remembered by R.B.Shami,
Sandeep & Prabha, Pradeep
& Nisha,
Shashikant,
Babita
Pratibha
&
&
Navajyoti, Gargi & Bhashkar
covid
free
HT Correspondent
› twice and will be
discharged after the state
medical board gives its
n hterporters@hindustantimes.com
permission.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 62-year-
N SHEEJA, district medical officer
old asymptomatic woman in
Kerala who tested positive 19
consecutive times for the coro- this 62-year-old, not related to
navirus was finally free of the the family, remained hospital-
virus on Friday. ised.
“She tested negative twice and She was first hospitalised on
will be discharged from the hos- March 10 after she showed symp-
pital after the state medical toms and soon after tested posi-
board gives its permission,” said tive for the coronavirus. Later
Pathanamthitta district medical on, while she was free of the
officer Dr. N Sheeja symptoms, she tested positive 19
The woman had been hospi- times.
talised 45 days ago after she con- In Kozhikkode (north Kerala)
tracted the disease following a person returned from Dubai on
contact with a family who had March 18 was turned positive at
returned from Italy, one of the least 29 days after he was
worst hit countries in the world. exposed to the virus. The World
The three-member family Health Organization (WHO) had
returned to their home in the dis- prescribed a 14-day quarantine
trict’s Ranni area on February 29 period but the state had extended
and had attended many func- it to 28 days to make it ensure
tions before testing positive a that an asymptomatic person is
week later. While all members of disinfected. At least eight such
the family, including a 94-year- cases where the person tested
old man and his 88-year-old wife, positive beyond the WHO period
woman had been discharged, were reported from the state.