Alarm in Maha as 1 more dies, COVID-19 cases rise to 74 (Ld)

Mumbai, March 22 (IANS) In a major concern, one person died and the total number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra shot up to 74 with 10 new cases detected overnight among several foreign-returned persons, Health officials said here on Sunday.

While a 63-year old man died late on Saturday at the Sir H. N. Reliance Hospital, six new cases detected are in Mumbai, and 4 in Pune, with all undergoing treatment.

The 63-year old COVID-19 positive patient had been admitted to the hospital on March 19 and was also suffering from chronic diabetes and high blood pressure.

Late on Saturday night he developed acute breathing problems and succumbed around 11 p.m.

As the state continued to lead in the number of active cases, Health Minister RajeshTope again warned of the axe falling on Mumbai’s lifelines – the suburban trains and buses – and reiterated that people strictly remain indoors as ‘isolation’ is the key to battling the COVID-19 virus.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has slapped a total ban on private offices, slashing attendance in government offices to 25 per cent and statewide cancellation of Class I-VIII exams, etc.

The government has postponed all non-essential planned surgeries in civic, public health and medical college hospitals to divert all medical resources to fighting Coronavirus, 7000 quarantine beds were added in the state besides 250 isolated beds.

On Friday, the government had slapped a total ban on all non-essential services in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur as a measure to reduce gathering.

Tope said the state has completely banned all flights from worst-hit 12 countries besides exercising extreme precautions for flights from all other nations at the three international airports in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur since the past over a month.

–IANS

qn/skp/dpb