With 3729 cases, Maharashtra's active COVID cases rise to 51,111; recovery rate at 94.78%

Maharashtra again witnessed a slight dip in daily COVID-19 cases on January 7 with 3729 more persons testing positive for the novel coronavirus. This has propelled the state's COVID-19 tally to 19,58,282. At present, there are 51,111 active cases in the state. With 3350 COVID-19 patients discharged in the day, the number of recovered soared to 18,56,109. Mumbai continues to be a major novel coronavirus hotspot with 665 new cases recorded in the day. 

72 deaths — 12 each from Nagpur and Pune, 7 from Mumbai, 6 from Pimpri Chinchwad, 4 from Jalgaon, three each from Buldhana, Akola, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar and Thane, two each from Navi Mumbai, Nashik and Bhandara and one each from Chandrapur, Washim, Nanded, Osmanabad, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Raigad, Kalyan-Dombivali and Satara were reported on Thursday. Out of the reported fatalities, 38 occurred in the last 48 hours, 14 in the last week and 20 are from the period before. 

Until now, a total of 49,897 persons in the state have died owing to COVID-19. So far, 1,31,99,201 samples have been tested for the novel coronavirus in labs operational across the state. While 2,70,217 persons are under home quarantine, 2824 others have been admitted to institutional quarantine centres. The COVID-19 positivity rate, recovery rate and fatality rate in Maharashtra stand at 14.84 per cent, 94.78 per cent, and 2.55 per cent respectively. 

Read: Mumbai Sees 665 New COVID Cases & 7 Deaths; 3 City Hospitals To Hold Vaccine 'dry Run'

Read: Maha: Nagpur Records 465 New COVID-19 Cases; 9 More Deaths

Dry run on January 8

On January 8, a dry run of the COVID-19 vaccination process will be conducted at three health centres in every district and one health centre in each Municipal Corporation of the state. At each centre, 25 beneficiaries shall undergo simulated vaccination as a part of the dry run. Meanwhile, BJP has requested the Maharashtra government to ensure free COVID-19 vaccination of at least the poor and the middle-class besides the frontline workers. Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said that the state can take the Union government's help in this regard.

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis remarked, "Regarding the vaccine, all protocols have been decided by the Centre and the state government together. First, the frontline workers will be administered the vaccine for free. Many states have announced that we will ensure free COVID-19 vaccination for all. Maharashtra should take the help of the Centre. It is our demand that the state government should vaccinate at least the poor and the middle class for free."

Read: Centre To Begin Covid-19 Vaccine Transportation In 2 Days; 41 Destinations Finalised

Read: Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India's Tally At 1,03,95,278; 2nd Nationwide Dry Run On Jan 8