Mumbai stable but Maharashtra's COVID-19 situation looks grim

MUMBAI: Mumbai seems to have turned the corner, with steady oxygen supply and better recovery rate giving a breathing space to its hard pressed healthcare system. As on Thursday, the city had 8,322 beds available at various hospitals.

However, the state is still not out of the woods with its two other major cities - Nagpur and Pune - reeling under case burden.

As per the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation data, the recovery rate in Mumbai is now 87 per cent while the doubling rate has jumped to 74 days as against 48 days a few days ago. All these are markers of a healthy trend.

According to the BMC data dated April 25, out of a total of 29,903 beds in hospitals, 21,581 beds are occupied. However, the picture across the state is still grim. The worst affected are Nagpur and Pune, with positivity rates of 11.19 and 15.19 per cent respectively. 

It is this high positivity rate that has prompted the government to extend the lockdown till May 15, with the existing restrictions continuing. The decision follows a persistent spike in active cases in the range of 60,000-65,000 per day, with the mortality rate rising to 21.42 per cent in April.

Pradeep Awate, joint director of health, said that Maharashtra is in the early stages of flattening the COVID-19 curve. "The lockdown should be continued for a few more days. We have to ease the burden off the hospitals. From the first or second week of May, we may see a significant drop in positive cases," he said.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Congress on Thursday said it will donate Rs 2 crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to contribute towards the free COVID-19 vaccination drive for people in the age group of 18 to 44.

Speaking to reporters here, state Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat said he will donate a year’s salary, while other Congress MLAs will contribute a month's salary.