Coronavirus cases in Maharashtra rise to 31; malls, schools to be closed

The number of coronavirus cases being detected in Maharashtra has been rising steadily, with 31 people testing positive so far in Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, and Yavatmal.

Late on Saturday (March 14) night, state disease surveillance officer Dr Pradip Awate said five persons from Pimpri-Chinchwad area near Pune had tested positive for the virus.

Four of them had come in contact with a group which had returned from Dubai. Some members of this group have already tested positive. Another person had visited Thailand recently, Dr Awate added.

It took the number of coronavirus patients in Pune to 15 and Maharashtra to 31.

Health minister Rajesh Tope earlier on Saturday evening announced that shopping malls across the state will remain closed till the end of the month. “Grocery stores which sell commodities of daily need will remain open,” he said.

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The state government also issued a directive that all schools and colleges in areas of municipal corporations, municipalities, and Nagar panchayats shall remain closed till March 31.

Tope also said that examinations of classes one to nine will be postponed if they are being held currently and that only the board exams for classes 10 and 12 will take place according to the schedule.

Four new people with coronavirus were detected in Mumbai on Saturday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

Of the new patients confirmed in Mumbai, one is a resident of the city while others are from Kamothe, Vashi, and Kalyan, all peripheral towns. All are admitted to Kasturba Hospital and their condition is stable, BMC deputy director, health, Daksha Shah said.

Earlier in the day, two persons who had recently returned from Dubai were confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal city.

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Thus, so far across the state, fifteen coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Pune, eight in Mumbai, four in Nagpur, two in Yavatmal and one each in Thane and Ahmednagar.

Some of the persons who tested positive have a history of travelling to the United States, Dubai, France, the Philippines, and Qatar, a health department statement said.

A 71-year-old man, who had returned from Saudi Arabia and was suspected to have coronavirus infection, died during treatment in Buldhana district on Saturday afternoon. He was suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.

Minister Tope said it was not yet confirmed if the deceased was infected by the coronavirus.

Sixteen of the confirmed Covid-19 patients had returned from Dubai, four from the USA, one each from France and the Philippines while four had no foreign travel history but had come in contact with other infected persons, he said.

(With inputs from agencies)