Maharashtra Coronavirus Live Updates: Tally crosses 17-lakh mark; Cinema halls reopen at 50% capacity

THE DECLINING trend in daily Covid-19 cases continued as Maharashtra recorded 5,246 positive cases on Thursday, much lower than Delhi’s daily record. Mumbai recorded 841 new cases, with active caseload down to 16,116, which is one-sixth of the state’s active caseload.

Even as the decline in new cases has eased the load on government hospitals, the state health department is bracing for a second possible spike after the festival season and the onset of winter in December, or January 2021.

At least 301 persons tested positive for Covid-19 in Maharashtra's Nagpur district, taking the tally of cases to 1,04,177 on Thursday, an official told PTI. Moreover, with the death of eight more patients during the day, the toll in the region reached 3,447, PTI reported.

Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally on Thursday breached the 17 lakh-mark after it recorded 5,246 fresh cases, an official in the state health department said. With the addition of the new cases in the last 24 hours, Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally rose to 17,03,444. The state also reported 117 more deaths, taking the fatality count to 44,804, he said. A total of 11,277 patients were discharged during the day, taking the tally of recovered people to 15,51,282, the official said. With this, the number of active cases in the state dropped to 1,06,519.--PTI

Filmmaker Siddharth Roy Kapur on Thursday hailed the Maharashtra government's decision to allow theatres outside containment zones to reopen as he called for more incentives for the exhibition sector and content creators. On Wednesday, the state government permitted theatres and multiplexes outside containment zones to open with 50 per cent capacity from Thursday. As per the guidelines, no eatables would be allowed inside the theatres and owners would have to ensure physical distancing and sanitisation. At the inaugural panel discussion of "Panorama: Envisioning Film & Media Entertainment Policy for Maharashtra", Kapur said screen density in the state has been a "core issue" for the last couple of years. "While cinemas have reopened, unfortunately the number of cinemas, especially the single screens, has been dwindling. "If the government can take initiative to give some incentives, the way in the early 2000 there was a massive boon in the sector, where they were given incentive, the ease of doing business in terms of permissions was simplified... it'll be a wonderful opportunity," he added. --PTI

Film distributors and cinema hall owners on Wednesday welcomed Maharashtra government's decision of opening theatres and multiplexes outside containment zones from November 5, saying preparations are in full swing to start afresh. While the call to open theatres in the state, which is the hub of the country's Hindi film industry, has made many cinema stakeholders happy, those who were hoping to capitalise the festival season of Diwali believe it is a development that has come "a little late".

After the Centre allowed reopening of theatres and multiplexes on October 15, halls in several places, including Delhi and parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, resumed function with stringent dos and don'ts in keeping with the new normal. However, theatres in states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Chhattisgarh had remained closed since the lockdown, which was imposed to contain COVID-19 in March.

Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally increased to 16,98,198 on Wednesday with the addition of 5,505 new cases, while recoveries continued to outstrip fresh infections with 8,728 patients getting recuperated, said a state health department official. The state also reported 125 deaths, taking the fatality count to 44,548, he said. A total of 8,728 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, pushing the tally of recovered cases to 15,40,005, the official said. With this, the number of COVID-19 patients under treatment in the state dropped to 1,12,912, he said.

With the ‘work from home’ provision continuing for many professionals in major Indian cities, the demand for furniture rental units is at an all-time high. In addition to expanding their existing rental spaces, warehouse companies have even come up with special packages for college students, most of whom continue to take online lessons.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out and the nationwide lockdown was announced in March, hundreds of families and bachelors, living on rent in big cities, have vacated their rented apartments and moved to their hometowns. Across Pune city, the rent of most apartments have dropped by 30 to 40 per cent.

Rented houses in localities such as Wagholi, Hinjewadi, Wakad, Kalyaninagar, Magarpatta, Hadapsar — which house MNCs and IT companies — have borne the brunt of this change. Meanwhile, those professionals who are working remotely from their native places foresee no requirement to return to cities anytime soon.

Cinema halls, drama theatres, multiplexes, swimming pools and yoga institutes will reopen from November 5 after the Uddhav Thackeray-led state government allowed resumption of indoor activities outside containment zones only, and by observing Covid-19 safety guidelines.

Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar issued an order as part of ‘Mission Begin Again’ stating that cinema halls, multiplexes and drama theatres will be allowed to operate with 50 per cent seating capacity in areas outside containment zones. No eatables will be allowed inside, said the order, adding that a separate standard operating procedure (SOP) will be issued by the cultural affairs department and local authorities.

The order also said swimming pools used by state, national and international level sportspersons for training and yoga institutes will also be allowed to operate outside containment zones.

Even as strategies are being worked out towards the preparation of Covid-19 vaccine, a massive exercise is underway by the state health department to collate data of total number of healthcare workers in government and private hospitals, and nursing homes.

“We are in the process of preparing a database of beneficiaries that will be uploaded to the vaccine beneficiary management system for individualised tracking of all recipients,” Dr D N Patil, state immunisation officer told The Indian Express. A Covid-19 vaccine beneficiary management system has been developed and government and private health care facilities have been told to submit data of their workers who will be among the first to receive the vaccine against the virus.

Dr Patil told said that 75 per cent of the data has been collated from the government healthcare facilities and medical associations like Indian Medical Association and others have been involved in the process besides civic corporations. A standard excel-based template that has been developed for data collection and includes guidelines.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis was discharged from St George hospital on Wednesday after being tested negative. However, doctors have advised him seven days home quarantine. Thanking everyone for his speedy recovery, Fadnavis said, “I am grateful to all the doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, administrative administration staff for your kind care and support in hospital. I sincerely thank everyone for wishing my speedy recovery and support.”

Welcome to our Maharashtra coronavirus LIVE blog. The total number of coronavirus cases has risen to 16,98,198 with the addition of 5,505 new cases, while recoveries continued to outstrip fresh infections with 8,728 patients getting recuperated. The state also reported 125 deaths, taking the fatality count to 44,548. Follow to get all the latest updates here!