Maharashtra Covid unlock news live: Black fungus cases in state soar to 7,395

Maharashtra's cumulative count of black fungus or mucormycosis cases reached 7,395 on Sunday, as per the state health department.

A total of 898 autorickshaw drivers in Raigad district got Rs 1,500 each as part of a Maharashtra government scheme to help the sector tide over the economic downturn brought about by the coronavirus-induced restrictions, a transport department official said on Monday.

Pune-based start-up has integrated 3D printing and pharmaceuticals to develop a mask which inactivates viral particles that come in contact with it, the Department Science and Technology said on Monday.

As the COVID-19 positivity rate in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district remaining higher, state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Monday directed the administration to ramp up testing and warned residents against lowering their guard.

The health department has extended the deadline of setting up the pressure swing absorption (PSA) based oxygen generation plant in all the government establishment by 15 days. The plants across all 31 establishments, including the sub-district hospitals and the rural hospitals across 15 talukas of Nashik district, were to be installed to fight the third wave of Covid. “The plants were to be commissioned by June 15, but the second wave has affected the progress in the installation of the plants. After discussions, the deadline has now been extended to June-end,” said the civil surgeon of Nashik civil hospital.

The Palghar district administration has amended its earlier order banning the movement of people near various tourist spots such as dams, waterfalls, lakes and beaches given the improvement in the Covid-19 pandemic situation. As per the modified order issued by the district collector Manik Gursal on Saturday, the previous prohibitory order will remain in force up to the one-km radius of tourist spots like dams, waterfalls, lakes and forts.

A study done by Alexis Hospital on its 1,068 doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers (HCW) has found that 93% of the 928 fully vaccinated healthcare workers (HCWs) did not contract Covid-19 despite working amid highly contagious and virulent second wave. Among the 24 HCWs who had only one dose or remained unvaccinated, 79% required hospitalization while the rate was just 3% among 65 HCWs who were infected after receiving both doses.

The traders in Kolhapur city have decided to reopen the non-essential shops from Tuesday onwards. The Kolhapur Chamber of Commerce and Industries, the apex body of traders, has decided to wait till Monday for the government to take the decision on their demand to open the non-essential shops that have been closed for more than two months now. Last week, the traders held a protest demanding that they be allowed to operate from Monday, however due to the high Covid positivity rate and oxygen bed occupancy rate in the district, the administration had decided to keep non-essential shops shut.

While new cases are going down in Vidarbha since almost a month now, deaths too reached a record low on Sunday. Only 11 deaths were reported in the day with five districts – Bhandara, Wardha, Gondia, Gadchiroli and Yavatmal reporting zero deaths. Chandrapur, Akola and Amravati reported a death each; Washim 2, Buldhana 3 and Nagpur 3. Out of 3 deaths in Nagpur, 2 are of the patients referred from other states, which means only 1 death was reported in Nagpur district. Deaths in rural Maharashtra have gone down too, which is a very comforting factor.

For the first time in four months, the number of fresh Covid-19 cases in Nashik city has dropped to the double digits — against a three and four-digit rise since mid-February. In April, the number of average daily new cases was 3,000. However, the number started dropping from the last week of April. May 13 onwards, the daily number has been in three digits. Over the past three days, the daily cunt has dropped to two-digit numbers. On June12, the city recorded 82 new cases and the number has been around the 85-mark over the past few days.

The Nashik Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) proposed post-graduate medical college and hospital project at its new Bytco hospital has been affected by the second wave of Covid pandemic. The medical college was to be affiliated to Mumbai-based autonomous educational institute — College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS) — and the NMC had planned to start the PG medical college from this year.

Nearly five months since the start of the nationwide Covid vaccination drive, less than 56% of healthcare and 47% of frontline workers have taken the second dose in Maharashtra, the Centre has said. The state features along with18 others that have administered fewer second doses than the national average. Maharashtra has started a drive to trace all those who have missed the second dose.

With the addition of 409 fresh coronavirus positive cases, the infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra mounted to 5,25,137, an official said on Monday. These cases were reported on Sunday, he said. With 26 more patients succumbing to coronavirus, the death toll in the district rose to 10,276. The mortality rate is 1.95 per cent, he added. The details of recovered and under-treatment patients were not provided by the district administration. READ MORE

With the second wave of the pandemic firmly on the ebb, medical experts have laid stress on oxygen banks for private hospitals and oxygen pants at civic hospitals to avoid a repeat of an acute shortage such as the one in April. Experts said a dedicated oxygen bank operated by civic bodies would go a long way in meeting the needs of private hospitals, many of which – especially small and medium units – rely on private vendors for supply.

Maharashtra's cumulative count of black fungus or mucormycosis cases reached 7,395 on Sunday, as per the state health department. Of these, 644 people infected to black fungus have died, while 2,212 have recovered from the disease. The maximum number of black fungus cases were reported in Pune, Nagpur, Nashik and Solapur districts. Recently, the state government has put a cap on the rates for treatment of mucormycosis or black fungus, at private hospitals. (ANI)

In an ambitious drive, the Pune rural administration plans to vaccinate over 28,000 divyang beneficiaries across 13 talukas on Monday. Routine vaccination will be kept on hold on Monday, while the manpower will be diverted to vaccinate the beneficiaries, said Ayush Prasad, chief executive officer (CEO) of Pune Zilla Parishad.