Mumbai records two new COVID-19 fatalities, lowest in 10 months; toll rises to 11,476

Mumbai: Mumbai reported only two COVID-19 fatalities, the lowest in the last 10 months, on Tuesday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. It took the toll due to the pandemic in India’s financial capital to 11,476, while the caseload increased to 3,27,619 with 849 new infections being reported. The city had reported over 1,000 cases a day last week. A BMC official said the number of fatalities on Tuesday was the lowest since April last year. The daily toll has declined since the start of this year, ranging between three to 11. The city had recorded 855 new cases and four fatalities on Monday. On Tuesday, at least 903 patients recuperated from the infectious disease, taking the total number of recoveries to 3,05,639. Currently, the city has a recovery rate of 93 percent. There are 9,633 active COVID-19 cases in the city now. The average growth rate of COVID-19 cases in the city has gone up to 0.29 percent from 0.17 percent on 18 February, while the average doubling rate of cases has gone down to 242 days from 417 days. The number of coronavirus tests conducted in the city increased to 33,10,190, with 18,469 tests conducted in the past 24 hours. According to a BMC official, 12,907 persons, including 1,091 healthcare workers,2,250 front-line workers, 6,263 senior citizens above 60 years and 590persons in the 45-59 age group were administered COVID-19 vaccines at 26 vaccination centers in the city on Tuesday, taking the total of inoculated people to 2,41,747. Of these, 2,713 were administered a second dose, taking the number of people given a second shot of the vaccine to 26,540. Iqbal Singh Chahal, municipal commissioner of the city, said that the Union government has permitted vaccination at 29 major private hospitals in Mumbai. Till now, besides government and civic-run hospitals and COVID-19 centres, only three private hospitals were permitted to administer COVID-19 vaccines in the city.