Maharashtra records 33,470 new COVID cases, 31 fresh Omicron infections; Mumbai reports five more deaths

Maharashtra on Monday recorded 33,470 new coronavirus cases, 10,918 less than the previous day, and eight fresh deaths linked to the infection, the state health department said. An official said Maharashtra also reported 31 new cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus. With addition of new cases and deaths, the state’s COVID-19 tally jumped to 69,53,514, while the toll rose to 1,41,647, the department said. Of the 33,470 new cases and eight deaths in the state, 13,648 infections and five fatalities were reported from Mumbai alone. The state had reported 44,388 COVID-19 cases and 12 fatalities on Sunday. Mumbai on Monday reported 13,648 new COVID-19 cases, around 30 percent or 5,826 less than the previous day, and five fatalities, a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) bulletin said. Mumbai’s tally of infections now stands at 9,28,220 and the death toll at 16,411, it said. A total of 59,242 COVID-19 tests were conducted in Mumbai on Monday as against 68,249 the day before, the BMC said. This is the third day in a row that the COVID-19 cases in Mumbai have dipped. The COVID-19 tally in Aurangabad in Maharashtra reached 1,51,183 on Monday after 317 cases were detected, while the death toll remained unchanged at 3,658, an official said. The new cases comprise 276 from city limits and 41 from the rural areas, he said. So far, 1,46,384 people have recovered from the infection, including 32 during the day, leaving Aurangabad with an active caseload of 1,141, he added. Incidentally, the vaccination level in Aurangabad is low when compared to other districts of the state, an official said. He said 78.87 percent of the eligible beneficiaries have taken the first dose, while only 41.30 percent are fully vaccinated as on Sunday. The third wave of the coronavirus pandemic has started which will peak by January-end, Maharashtra Health minister Rajesh Tope said on Monday. He also said that the 14-day quarantine period has been halved to seven days. Tope’s remarks come on a day Maharashtra reported 33,470 new COVID-19 cases and eight fatalities. He appealed to the people to strictly follow the COVID-appropriate behaviour. “The third wave of the pandemic has started. It is expected to peak by January-end,” Tope told reporters. He expressed concerns over many political leaders not adhering to the pandemic protocols despite the rise in cases in Maharashtra. The health minister also appealed to political parties not to organise meetings and programmes. Quoting an Urdu proverb, ‘Jaan hai to Jahaan hai’, Tope said that everyone needed to be safe and follow the norms. “Due to the spike in cases, the closure of schools is necessary to protect children from coronavirus. People should support the restrictions announced by the government,” he added. Tope said that he had spoken with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya during a virtual meeting about the pandemic situation on Monday. In this meeting, utilisation of funds under the ECRP 2 (Emergency COVID Response Plans) for preparedness and prevention of the pandemic was discussed, he said. “Repairing the defunct oxygen plants and expediting administration of a booster dose, vaccination of the children between 15-18 years was also discussed,” Tope added. He said that only four per cent of the total 17,000 oxygenated beds in Maharashtra remain occupied as of now. With inputs from PTI Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News ,  India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.