The plateauing pattern of the pandemic continued on Friday, with the state reporting 2,628 new infections and the figures for Mumbai staying below 500. Since the beginning of the COVID outbreak, Maharashtra has so far seen 20.38 lakh cases. Government data showed 40 people died in the 24 hours up to Friday evening in all districts of the state, led by Pune, with nine deaths and five deaths in Yavatmal.

A civic worker takes a sample at Dadar station on Friday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi