COVID-19 cases in worst-hit Maharashtra cross 23,000, death toll 868

Maharashtra, the state worst affected due to COVID-19, reported 1,230 fresh cases of the infection on Monday (May 11), besides 36 deaths. With this, the current coronavirus figures of the state stands at 23,401 cases and 868 deaths.

State capital Mumbai’s count now stands at 14,355 cases and 528 deaths with the addition of 791 new infections and 20 more deaths on Monday, according to the city’s civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

So far, 3,110 recovered patients have been discharged from hospitals, including 106 on Monday, said the BMC. It also informed that 567 new suspected patients of COVID-19 have been admitted at various hospitals in the past 24 hours.

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Mumbai’s slum sprawl Dharavi reported 57 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the total case count to 916, a BMC official said. The death toll stood at 29 so far in Dharavi, believed to be the biggest slum in Asia.

“New cases were found from 90-feet road, Abu Bakar Chawl, Dharavi cross road, PV Chawl, Dhobi Ghat, Gautam Chawl, Muslim Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Dhorwada, Kuttiwadi and some other localities,” the official added.

Apart from Mumbai, five deaths were reported from Solapur, three from Pune, two from Thane city, one each from Amravati, Aurangabad, Nanded, Ratnagiri and Wardha. One
person from Uttar Pradesh also died here in Maharashtra, an official said.

Pune, a virus hotspot, has so far reported 2,476 cases and 149 deaths, he said, adding that the entire Pune division has reported a total of 3,206 cases and 176 deaths so far. Thane division which consist of Mumbai city has 17,661 COVID-19 cases and 566 deaths.

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Meanwhile, a state transport official said the government has launched free bus services up to the borders of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat for migrant labourers amidst the ongoing lockdown. The decision was taken in view of the migrant workers risking their lives by setting out on journey on foot on highways and even along railway tracks.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray participated in a video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, during which the former urged the latter to start local trains in Mumbai for essential services staff working in the city.

Thackeray further told Modi to show “specific and concrete direction” on the ongoing lockdown. “Show us specific and concrete direction on lockdown, the states will implement the same,” an official statement quoted him as telling the prime minister.

(With inputs from agencies)