With the nationwide lockdown over 30 days, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that new techniques of testing - 7,000 tests are done daily - are being used. Also, looking at the rising number of coronavirus cases, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, the civic transport service, has converted seven of its AC mini-buses into ambulances. (Pictures/Sameer Markande, Satej Shinde, Sayyed Sameer Abedi- mid-day photographers)
Updated On: 2020-04-24 06:52 PM IST
On the 10th day of the extended lockdown, a day after reporting a massive spike in confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus, the Maharashtra health department officials on Friday said the city as well as the state recorded a dip in infections. While Mumbai on Friday reported 242 new cases as against 522 on Thursday, the state reported 394
In Maharashtra, 18 more COVID-19 deaths have been reported with 11 deaths in Mumbai, five in Pune and two in Malegaon, the state public health department said.
According to the department, the total count of coronavirus cases in the state has climbed to 6,427, while the death toll due to the infection has risen to 283.
With 1,752 new COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of cases surged to over 24,000 in the country, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said, new techniques of testing - 7,000 tests are done daily - are being used. "Photo bath is one novel thing we have started at Kasturba Hospital. It will be given to 100 people in other places. Radiology machines and pulse oximeters are used to monitor people under medical care. We are also using plasma therapy in Mumbai," he said.
Rajesh Tope on Friday also said that the Centre has given its approval for using plasma therapy in COVID-19 treatment in Maharashtra. He said that the approval was given by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan during a video-conference meeting with the health ministers and secretaries of all the states.
Meanwhile, the government said that it has been able to "cut Coronavirus transmission", minimise its spread and increase the doubling time of COVID-19 cases in the country during the 30-day period of the nationwide lockdown.
Looking at the rising number of coronavirus cases, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, the civic transport service, has converted seven of its AC mini-buses into ambulances.
These 'semi-ambulances' will be used to ferry suspected coronavirus patients, or those who have an only mild infection, to COVID-19 Care Centres, a senior official said.
Seats were removed and air-tight partition was put into separate driver cabins from the rest of the vehicle in seven buses at the BEST's workshop in the last three days.
According to an official from BEST, they have been asked to convert 20 of more such buses into ambulances, that will be ready by next week.
Following strict enforcement of the COVID-19 lockdown, the Mumbai police have registered 4,953 offences, involving 9,583 persons ever since the curfew was imposed last month, an official said.
As many as 6,033 people were arrested for lockdown violations and later released on bail, while 2,362 were allowed to leave after being served notices and 1,188 offenders remain at large, the official said.
At least 1,203 persons were booked for stepping out of their homes without wearing masks, the official added.
Most of these offences were registered under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, since the prohibitory orders were
imposed on March 20, the official said.
In view of the pandemic outbreak, Minister for Higher and Technical Education Uday Samant said in a statement that the decision about when to hold university and college examinations in Maharashtra will be taken after instructions come from the University Grants Commission (UGC).
No decision had been taken about conducting examinations online, the minister said, adding that students will be informed about examinations. "No student will be deprived of opportunity to appear for examination," the statement quoted the minister as saying.
A total of 559 industrial units have resumed operations in Maharashtra as part of easing of
restrictions since April 20 in the lockdown in place for the coronavirus outbreak, officials said.
A source said that as many as 7432 applications were received and the highest number of applications, at 1,418, was from Pune while the highest number of productions units
resuming work, at 282, was in Nashik.
