Maintenance work at NIV keeps Pune’s tally at 76

PUNE: Seventy six people tested positive for Covid-19 in the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) on Monday, the least 24-hour tally since May 5, as maintenance and fumigation activities kept the testing facility at NIV only partially functional on Sunday.

Besides, eight more patients succumbed to the contagion in PMR on Monday, pushing the death tally up to 345.
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials confirmed the partial closure of testing facility at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) on Sunday due to the planned maintenance activity for the machines and fumigation of the laboratories. “Therefore, the PMC sent the swabs to NIV that were of high priority,” said Rubal Agarwal, additional commissioner of PMC.
Of 76 new cases, 64 were recorded in PMC limits, five in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation areas and three in Cantonment and rural parts. The addition of Monday’ cases pushed PMR’s total case load to 7,826.
Of the total deaths on Monday, the PMC recorded six, while the district health office recorded eight. The deceased included a 74-year-man from Market Yard, a 58-year-old woman from the Bibvewadi area, a 60-year-old woman and a 74-year-old woman from the Pandavnagar area, a 75-year-old-woman of Yerawada.
Besides, 227 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours after they were declared Covid-free. PMC health officials said the discharge had increased since last few days. Over 3,900 patients have been discharged in PMC limits, they said.
The region has about 2,752 active patients being treated at various hospitals and centres. As many as 210 patients were in critical condition and were being treated at various hospitals.