Maharashtra sees Covid cases zoom while Omicron cools amid fresh curbs

Mumbai: In a mixed development, Maharashtra witnessed a steep surge in Covid-19 cases even as infections of the Omicron variant infections declined sharply as the state and city were put under fresh restrictions on Friday.

For the third consecutive day, the state reported a massive spike in Covid-19 cases and suspects whose samples have been sent for genome sequencing.

The state Covid-19 count shot up significantly, from 5,368 on Thursday to 8,067 now, though fatalities dropped from 22 to only 8, with the mortality rate improving slightly from 2.12 per cent to 2.11 per cent.

After Thursday's 198 cases of Omicron, besides an Omicron-related death, the state recorded only 4 infections due to the variant, taking up the state tally from 450 to 454, with Mumbai spared any fresh cases, health officials said.

Of the fresh cases, two are from Thane and one each from Palghar and Raigad districts.

Intensive surveillance of passengers arriving at the three international airports - Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur - is currently underway since December 1.

A total of 29,969 travellers have landed here from the "high risk" countries of which 239 have tested positive and 103 from other countries, with all their reports sent for genomic sequencing to confirm if they are afflicted by Omicron.

Besides, another 1,710 samples from field surveys conducted since November 1 have been sent for genomic sequencing with the results of 139 awaited, the officials said.

Omicron has spread extensively spanning several districts in the state, with Mumbai accounting for the maximum 327 cases, followed by 56 in Pune, 31 in Thane, eight in Raigad, six each in Nagpur and Satara, five in Osmanabad, four in Palghar, three in Nanded, two each in Buldhana and Aurangabad, and one each in Akola, Latur, Ahmednagar, and Kolhapur.

Of the new 8,067, Covid-19 cases recorded on friday, Mumbai Metropolitan Region alone accounted for 6,868 including 5,428 from the country's commercial capital, followed by Pune circle's 746 infectees, Nashik circle 217, Nagpur circle 99, Kolhapur circle 55, Latur circle 44, Aurangabad circle 29 and Akola circle's nine.

Presently, 175,592 people are in home isolation and another 1,079 in institutional quarantine.

Mumbai, Pune and Thane remain at the top with the highest number of active cases currently in the state, with the afflictions shooting up from 18,217 on Thursday to 24,509 on Friday, with a recovery rate of 97.46 per cent.

The state's cumulative figures of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic stands at 66,78,821 cases and 141,526 deaths, and 65,09,096 patients who recovered.