Seven positive cases of COVID-19 reported in Mumbai; state tally at 167

A person sells face masks made from cloth at a stall in Bhuleshwar. Picture/Bipin Kokate

Maharashtra Health Ministry on Saturday announced that 8 new coronavirus positive cases have been reported in the state out of which 7 were found in Mumbai and one in Nagpur, taking the state tally to 167.

"8 new coronavirus positive cases found in the state today - 7 in Mumbai and 1 in Nagpur. The total number of positive cases in the state rises to 167," said Maharashtra Health Ministry. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that the state government will take care of the people who are fleeing to their native place amid countrywide lockdown.

"We have seen people who were hiding in milk tankers while trying to go back to their native states. Many CM's have requested me take care of people from their states. We request people to stay at their place, we will take care of them," Thackeray said.

This came after Prime Minster Narendra Modi had on Tuesday announced a 21- day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with spread of the coronavirus, saying that " social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), there are 873 confirmed cases of coronavirus cases in the country and 19 fatalities have been reported.

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