Mumbai News LIVE: 13 dead in Virar COVID-19 hospital fire

Six months before the second Covid-19 wave hit the state, veteran bureaucrat Mahesh Zagade said he had “warned” the administration about its likelihood and suggested measures to tackle it. “In my opinion, the administration did not appear to be serious. I had written to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and deputy CM Ajit Pawar and submitted a comprehensive action plan for tackling the pandemic, but my pleas fell on deaf ears or the bureaucracy held them back. Even now, I am prepared to offer my expertise for free, but there is no response from the government,” Zagade told TOI on Thursday. Full story here

Bhoiwada police on Wednesday registered an FIR against BJP Mumbai spokesperson Suresh Nakhua for allegedly tarnishing BMC’s image. In a tweet on Thursday, @mybmc said, “Fact > Fast. A video, recently shared on social media falsely accused BMC staff of taking an alive patient to the crematorium. In addition to tarnishing the image of BMC, the video also created panic amongst citizens, owing to which an FIR has been lodged against the offender.” Full story here

All learner’s licence and permanent driving licence tests have been cancelled at RTOs in Maharashtra and no private vehicles are being registered till May 1, state transport commissioner Avinash Dhakne said on Thursday. The halt in private car and bike registrations could hit the economy, which was recovering from the slump during Covid last year. “We are registering transport vehicles and completing pending work which can be done online,” Dhakne said. There are special directives to register on priority essential service vehicles, which will be required for medical and other emergencies during Covid-19, such as ambulances.

Cricket bookie Naresh Gor,arrested in connection with the case of recovery of an explosives-laden SUV near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's house and the death of businessman Mansukh Hiren, has filed a bail application in a special court here.The plea was filed before special NIA court judge P R Sitre on Wednesday.Suspended police officer Sachin Waze, currently in judicial custody, is a prime accused in the case.

A major fire broke out at a COVID-19 centre in Virar in the neighbouring Palghar district in the wee hours of Friday.According to the Corona Control Room of the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation, at least 13 patients have succumbed to the blaze. Full details here

For the second day running, Maharashtra reported record number of Covid deaths with its overall toll racing past the 62,000-mark, with a spike in the number of active cases as the state entered a tougher phase of lockdown from tonight, health officials said on Thursday.The state's fatalities remained at the peak of 568 notched on April 21, as the overall toll shot past the 62,000-mark to 62,479, the worst in the country.Dropping a little from the record high of 68,631 new cases notched on April 18, the state on Thursday reported 67,013 fresh Covid cases, taking its overall tally to 40,94,840.

The first `Oxygen Express'carrying liquid medical oxygen departed for Maharashtra from Visakhapatnam on late Thursday night.Railway Minister Piyush Goyal took to Twitter to inform about the Ro-Ro (roll-on-roll-off) train with seven tankers leaving for Maharashtra."The first Oxygen Express train loaded with liquid medical oxygen tankers has left for Maharashtra from Vizag. Railways continues to serve the nation in difficult times by transporting essential commodities and driving innovation to ensure the wellbeing of all citizens," Goyal tweeted.With Maharashtra battling shortages of medical oxygen amid COVID-19 surge, on April 19 the train left for Visakhapatnam from Kalamboli near Mumbai.

Taking cognisance of BJP leaderKirit Somaiya's complaint about the death of 62 COVID-19 patients in Vasai-Virar area, the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission on Thursday issued a notice to the state.The commission asked the state public health department to submit a report in three weeks.Somaiya, in his complaint lodged on April 16, alleged that 62 critically ill COVID-19 patients died at hospitals in Vasai Virar region between April 12 and 13 due to lack of oxygen.

With new coronavirus-inducedrestrictions coming into force in Maharashtra from Thursday night, the state government said only government personnel and health workers will be allowed to travel by suburban trains in Mumbai.The fresh restrictions under the government's `Break- the-Chain' programme came into force at 8 pm on Thursday and will remain effective till 7 am on May 1.No one else even notified as essential services or under exemptions as per earlier government orders will be allowed to use local trains during this period, said a statement issued by the office of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray here.Government entities include civic bodies of Mumbai, Thane and other corporations, zilla parishads, government authorities, statutory commissions and agencies, the statement said.Accredited media personnel are prominent among those excluded from the use of suburban trains which are the lifeline of Mumbai and its satellite towns.

Maharashtra Chief Minister UddhavThackeray spoke to his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik on Thursday and thanked him for helping with procurement of oxygen for Maharashtra.Thackeray took to Twitter to inform about his conversation with Patnaik.The tweet said he thanked the Odisha chief minister for "helping in procurement and transportation of oxygen from Odisha to Maharashtra and for standing by each other in these crucial times as one nation".Thackeray did not elaborate on the procurement of oxygen from the eastern state.