Maharashtra sees record 3607 new cases, 152 deaths as tally inches closer to 1 lakh mark

Witnessing its biggest spike yet, Maharashtra on Thursday, reported 3607 new Coronavirus (COVID-19) and 152 deaths. The state also saw 1561 patients recovered, taking its recovered tally to 46,078. Currently, Maharashtra has 97,648 COVID-19 cases with 3590 deaths - Mumbai amounts to 54,085 cases and 1954 deaths.

ICMR reiterates 'no community transmission of COVID-19 in India' as recovered cases rise

Maharashtra: 3607 new cases  

The state's medical bulletin observes that the recovery rate has risen to 47.2%, with case fatality rate at 3.7%. While 5,73,606 people are in home quarantine, 28,066 are in institutional quarantine. Maharashtra has 95 labaratories - 54 govt labs, 41 private labs which have tested 6,09,317 samples. Of these 97,648 samples have tested positive taking the state test positivity rate to 16.02%.

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21 Maharashtra govt hospitals to start plasma trials

Earlier on Tuesday, the Central Drug Authority permitted 21 government medical college hospitals (GMCHs) in Maharashtra to conduct plasma trials on severe Covid-19 patients, as per reports. The trials will reportedly be led by Nagpur's Government Medical College with King Edward Memorial Hospital, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, and Dr RN Cooper Hospital, participating from Mumbai. 16 plasma-therapy trials have been conducted till date in the state. 

The commencement of these trials will make it “the largest trial in the world for the use of convalescent plasma as therapy in severe cases”. This trial is excluding from ICMR's current trials with 28 institutions in India to conduct convalescent plasma trials in mild and moderate symptomatic cases. The study will reportedly require a month's preparation as plasma will have to be separated from the donor's blood cells.

Maharashtra: Jalgaon hospital dean suspended after body of COVID patient found in toilet

Maharashtra's 'Mission begin Again'

Following the Centre's lockdown extension in containment zones, Maharashtra too issued lockdown guidelines for the new lockdown valid till June 30. In addition to the Centre's guidelines for reopening in phases, Maharashtra has imposed phase-wise reopening of activities in areas of MCGM (Mumbai), Municipal Corporations of Pune, Solapur, Aurangabad, Malegaon, Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Akola, Amravati, and Nagpur. In the rest of the state, all activities are allowed except for the ones mentioned in the prohibited list.

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While Thackeray has urged the resuming of economic activities, throughout the state, he has advised people to maintain social distancing, after crowds of joggers were seen at Mumbai's marine drive. Thackeray has also requested Centre to allow resuming of local trains in Mumbai, but Centre is yet to comply. He claimed that the current overcrowding seen in Mumbai's BEST buses is due to the continued suspension of local trains.