Mumbai sees highest single-day COVID-19 spike with 478 new cases, city tally at 4232

In a massive surge in Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, Mumbai on Thursday saw 478 new cases and 8 deaths. The tally of the city currently stands at 4232 cases with 168 deaths.  As per the state health department, Maharashtra saw a rise in 778 cases in the past 24 hours and 14 new fatalities - with the state tally soaring to 6427 and 283 deaths.

Coronavirus Live Updates: 'India has flattened the curve' says ICMR, case tally at 21393

Mumbai: 478 new cases

Three banks reduce shareholdings in Yes Bank within 15 days of reconstitution by RBI

Maharashtra's hotspots reduce

Earlier in the day, state Health minister Rajesh Tope revealed that the state's number of hotspots have been reduced from 14 to 5, declaring that the pandemic in control in several parts. Hotspots remaining in Maharashtra include Mumbai, Pune, Malegaon, Nashik, and Nagpur. Moreover, the BMC has started surveying people above 60 years of age who are obese, diabetic, and hypertensive- checking their oxygen levels on a ward-basis and picked up for further action, if they reveal low oxygen levels.

Mumbai reports 309 new COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths in 24 hours, city tally at 3754

BMC revises testing criteria

Last week, BMC revised COVID-19 testing criteria, differing from the ICMR guidelines to 'avoid unnecessary testing of asymptomatic persons'. The new guidelines exclude asymptomatic high-risk persons from testing but quarantines them. Swabs will be taken only if the asymptomatic person develops symptoms within the 14 days of quarantine. Moreover, high-risk contacts may be tested on the between 5th & 14th day of quarantine after 'careful observation', states the BMC - inspite CM Thackeray claiming 70 to 75% of the patients had very mild or no symptoms.

Maharashtra: 778 COVID-19 cases reported in a single day; death toll rises to 283

Mumbai under containment

BMC has set up 861 containment zones throughout Mumbai since the rise in the number of cases. With over 1 million people living in five square kilometer area, Dharavi is Mumbai's most densely populated area and has been under severe scrutiny - recording 214 cases with 13 deaths. The Centre's inter-ministerial team has visited several areas of Mumbai's containment zones and has recommended adding more isolation beds as the number cases rise in Mumbai.