Maharashtra records 15,817 new COVID-19 cases, highest one-day spike in 2021

Mumbai: Maharashtra recorded this year’s highest one-day spike on the third day in a row on Friday with 15,817 new infections coming to light, a health official said. The caseload in the state rose to 22,82,191, while the death toll reached 52,723 with 56 new fatalities. The state had earlier reported more than 15,000 cases on 2 October last year, after which new cases had declined. But a fresh surge in cases began last month and the state recorded 13,659 and 14,317 cases on Wednesday and Thursday. As many as 11,344 patients were discharged from hospitals on Friday, taking the total of recoveries to 21,17,744. There are 1,10,485 active cases. Pune city recorded the highest 1,845 new cases, followed by 1,729 in Nagpur and 1,647 in Mumbai. Pune division comprising civic bodies of Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad as well as districts of Pune, Solapur and Satara reported total of 3,580 cases, highest among the divisions. The number of cases in the Pune division so far stood at 5,53,064 and death toll at 11,832. Mumbai’s COVID-19 tally increased to 3,40,290 and four deaths took the fatality count to 11,523. The wider Mumbai division reported 3,137 new cases and 11 deaths, taking the cumulative caseload to 7,52,986 and death toll to 19,932. Nashik division’s case tally till now stood at 3,12,328 and the death toll at 5,357. Kolhapur division has reported 1,20,859 cases and 4,084 deaths till now, while Aurangabad division’s case tally stood at 88,467 and death count at 2,085. Latur division has reported 90,774 cases until now and 2,557 fatalities. Akola division has reported 1,14,655 cases while 1,893 people have succumbed to the disease until now. Nagpur division has reported 2,48,912 infections and 4,893 fatalities so far. With 97,274 tests carried out on Thursday, the state has so far tested 1,73,10,586 samples for coronavirus. There are 5,42,693 people in home quarantine while 4,884 are in institutional quarantine. Out of 56 deaths reported on Friday, 32 occurred in the last 48 hours, eight in the last week and 16 deaths were from the period before the last week. Maharashtra’s COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases: 22,82,191, new cases: 15,817, death toll: 52,723, discharged: 21,17,744, active cases: 1,10,485, people tested so far: 1,73,10,586.