Maharashtra reports 729 fresh COVID-19 cases; 31 new casualties propel death toll to 400

729 fresh novel coronavirus cases were reported in Maharashtra on Tuesday, taking the state's total tally to 9,318. With 6,169 cases and 244 deaths, Mumbai remains a major COVID-19 hotspot in the state. After 106 patients were discharged in the day, the number of recovered persons has increased to 1,388. Maharashtra's death toll surged to 400 as 31 individuals passed away due to COVID-19 in the day. This includes 25 patients from Mumbai, 4 from Jalgaon and two from Pune.

20 of the deceased persons had high-risk co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, asthma, etc. A total of 1,29,931 samples have been tested for COVID-19 until now. There are 664 active containment zones in the state. On Tuesday, surveillance of 38.30 lakh people was done by 9361 surveillance squads. Currently, 1,55,170 persons are in-home quarantine while 9,917 others have been admitted to an institutional quarantine facility. 

Read: Mumbai: 5 BEST Employees Including 3 Conductors, And 2 At APMC Market Test COVID Positive

Read: Celebs Laud 'Superhero' Mumbai Mayor Who Dons Her Nursing Uniform To Fight Pandemic

Safety measures for the Mumbai Police

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police announced a slew of safety measures for its personnel after three policemen passed away due to COVID-19. First, the police personnel aged 52 and above with existing medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, etc. have been sent on paid leave. Till May 3, the police will be working in a 12-hour shift followed by a 24 hour rest period. Moreover, the police personnel will be provided hydroxychloroquine tablets, multivitamins, and protein supplements under medical supervision. Additionally, all COVID hospitals shall have beds reserved for the police. The Maharashtra government has also declared Rs.50 lakh as ex-gratia to all personnel who lose their lives fighting COVID-19. 

Read: Mumbai Police Has A Hilarious Take On Chris Hemsworth's 'Proman Dao' Meme From Extraction

COVID-19 crisis in India

Presently, there are 29,974 confirmed novel coronavirus cases in India out of which 7027 persons have recovered while 937 casualties have been reported. Addressing a press briefing, Lav Aggarwal- the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health stated that 1543 cases have been reported in India in the last 24 hours. Moreover, 684 patients have been recovered in a day. Thus, India's COVID-19 recovery rate is now 23.3% He also mentioned that no new cases had been reported in 17 districts for the last 28 days. 

Read: Coronavirus Live Updates: 1543 Cases Reported In Last 24 Hours; Total Cases Soar To 29974