Explained: Why is Maharashtra witnessing another spike in Covid-19 cases?

 With the coronavirus number showing an increasing trend over the last two weeks, Maharashtra has reintroduced some restrictions on the assembly and movement of people. The state government has warned that it could even bring back the lockdown if it was felt necessary.

What is the Covid-19 situation in Maharashtra?

Every day of the last week, for the first time since mid-January, Maharashtra has reported more than 3,000 new cases of coronavirus infections. The new cases in the second week of February were at least 14 per cent more than the first. In the week ending this Sunday (February 14), 20,207 new cases were detected across the state, compared to 17,672 in the previous week (February 1-7). In the week prior to that (January 25-31), the state had reported 17,293 cases.

Mumbai, Pune, their surrounding areas along with the Vidarbha region have contributed the maximum to this surge. Nearly 60 per cent of the new infections in the second week of February were reported from Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Thane and Amravati. With 3,228 cases in that week (February 8-14), Pune had the highest number among these. Nagpur (2,628 cases) and Amravati (2,420) discovered more cases than Mumbai (2,195). Thane reported 1,960 cases during that week.

In the last one week, Mumbai and Pune have both reported more than 600 cases in a day, something that they had not done in at least a month. Nagpur has reported more than 500 cases twice in the last week while Thane has gone past 400.

The rise is not very alarming right now. Maharashtra had been reporting between 2,000 and 2,500 cases through most of January, but the numbers were steadily, though very slowly, going down. The spike seen in the last two weeks is a reversal of a declining trend that seemed to have become permanent.

“It is not a red signal yet, but definitely a yellow warning. We have to take steps to ensure that this does not become red,” Dr Shahank Joshi, a member of the state’s Covid-19 task force, said.

Maharashtra coronavirus spike: Why is it happening?

One important reason could be the reopening of the local trains for the general public in the Mumbai region. But that does not explain the increase being witnessed in Vidarbha. State surveillance officer Dr Pradeep Awate suggests the recently-held gram panchayat elections could also have played a role.

“It is not uncommon to see gatherings of 400-500 at marriages or other events these days. But from now on, the rule of not more than 50 invitees would be strictly enforced. Also, people would have to wear masks at these functions,” Dr Rahul Pandit, a member of the state’s Covid-19 task force, said.

Dr Shashank Joshi said there was also a mistaken belief that the epidemic was over. “We cannot let our guard down and use Covid fatigue as an excuse to not wear masks. In fact, like in the United States, there is a need to start using double-layered masks,” he said.

State health minister Rajesh Tope agreed, and said people not following physical distancing norms, or avoiding face masks, would be heavily penalised. He said the district administration had authorised to shut schools if the situation so warranted.

Interestingly, there has been a drop in the number of samples being tested. Contact tracing efforts have also become weaker. Districts like Sindhudurg, Wardha, Palghar, Osmanabad, Nandurbar and Chandrapure have reported very low testing in recent days, even less than the recommended 140 per million.

“Our teams are now at various places across the 14 districts that have shown an increase in numbers, and identifying the most vulnerable spots to take necessary actions,” Dr Awate said.

What are the present coronavirus restrictions in Maharashtra?

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These are the present Covid-19 restrictions in Maharashtra.

* Guestlists at family functions, including marriages, or other events cannot exceed 50

* A complete ban on processions, protests, and rallies for the time being

* Buildings to be sealed if multiple positive cases emerge

* Stringent fines for people not following norms of social distancing or not wearing face masks in public

Corona updates 4-5-2020

More than a month into a countrywide lockdown, India reported the biggest single-day jump in the number of coronavirus patients with 2,487 new cases in the last 24 hours, including 83 deaths - also the highest - taking the total to 40,263 cases and 1,306 deaths, the Union Health Ministry said today. In the last week, the country has registered more than 13,000 cases and more than 700 deaths linked to the highly contagious illness, which began in China's Wuhan city in December and has spread to over 180 countries. The lockdown is set to ease from tomorrow in parts of the country that are least affected by the pandemic identified as Orange and Green zones. Strict restrictions continue to be in place in worst-hit districts marked as "Red Zones".

Here are top 10 developments on coronavirus cases in India:

1. Fly-pasts, lit up ships at sea and flower showers on hospitals are a part of armed forces' elaborate display today to thank the healthcare workers who have been in forefront in the fight against coronavirus.
2. Calling it a "gesture of special gratitude", Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat on Friday said: "The nation stood together, it showed resilience to overcome this crisis. In our country, everybody understands that when it comes to the nation we have to stand together." This is the third massive display of gratitude to those providing healthcare services in the last few weeks.
3. Lakhs of stranded migrants, tourists and students have been allowed to travel after centre's nod earlier this week amid a countrywide shutdown. Thousands began their journey back home on Friday as railways started running special trains.
4. India's recovery rate - number of patients who have successfully fought the illness - stood at 26.59 per cent this morning. A total of 10,887 patients have recovered so far. Over one million samples have been tested so far, according to the government, out of which 30,000 samples are repeat samples.
5. Delhi on Saturday recorded the biggest spike in coronavirus cases on Saturday with 384 new cases, taking the total to 4,122, the third highest in India after Maharashtra and Gujarat. In the national capital, which has over 90 containment zones, the total number of patients who have recovered is 1,256, while 64 have died so far.
6. Aviation regulator - the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) - on Saturday issued a circular suspending domestic and international commercial flight operations till May 17 after the Home Ministry extended the ongoing lockdown for two more weeks.
7. 122 jawans at a CRPF battalion in Delhi have tested positive for coronavirus in two weeks, officials said on Saturday, adding that test results of 100 others are yet to come. The men belong to the 31st battalion of the paramilitary force, based in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar Phase-3.
8. Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that the borders with all the states in the northeast, except Sikkim, reopen from today to "ease the return" of those stranded in the other states in the region. "No passes will be required for those travelling from these states," he said in a tweet, adding, "All returnees to be screened at interstate borders for COVID symptoms."
9. In a boost for local production of COVID-19 protective gear, the Centre said it has ordered 2.22 crore personal protection equipment (PPE) of which 1.43 crore will be made by domestic manufacturers, news agency PTI reported.
10. Worldwide, over 34, lakh have contracted coronavirus so far; more than 2,4 lakh have died. Coronavirus deaths in the United States - the worst hit country - climbed by 1,435 in the past 24 hours.

Corona updates 30-03-2020 India

11:45 AM IST | 30 MAR 2020

Air India, Alliance Air ferrying medical supplies: Govt

Centre on Monday said that it has pressed Air India and its subsidiary Alliance Air into providing cargo services to ferry medical supplies to different parts of the country. Accordingly, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is coordinating with state Governments for supply of medical equipment and related essential items needed for protection against and testing of COVID-19.

10:54 AM IST | 30 MAR 2020

Yogi writes to all CMs to take care of UP people

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has written to all chief ministers, requesting them to take adequate care of people from Uttar Pradesh, living in their respective states. The chief minister has also assured that his government would take proper care of residents of other states living in UP. He said that the lockdown has created unusual circumstances and preventing movement of people was the biggest responsibility of all. Uttar Pradesh has been facing a huge surge in reverse migration with people from various states returning to their homes despite the lockdown. People, most of them migrant labourers, are walking long distances to reach their homes.

10:53 AM IST | 30 MAR 2020

Maharashtra: US returnee booked for violating home quarantine order

A 35-year-old man who arrived in Maharashtra's Palghar district from the US last week has been booked for violating the home quarantine order issued to check the spread of coronavirus, police said on Monday. The man arrived in Vasai area here from USA on March 23 and after his medical examination, he was asked to remain in home quarantine. However, on March 28, he was found roaming in the locality, police spokesperson Hemant Katkar said.

Corona virus updates 25-3-2020 Spain

Spain's coronavirus death toll overtook that of China on Wednesday, rising to 3,434 after 738 people died over the past 24 hours, the government said.

Across the world, only Italy now has a higher death toll than that of Spain. In China, where the virus emerged late last year, 3,281 people have died.

The spiralling number of deaths came as Spain entered the 11th day of an unprecedented lockdown to try and rein in the COVID-19 epidemic that has now infected 47,610 people, the health ministry said.As the authorities stepped up testing, the number of cases showed a 20 percent increase on the figures for Tuesday, while the death toll showed a 27 percent rise over the same period.

Despite the national lockdown imposed on March 14, which is to be extended until April 11, both deaths and infections have continued to mount, with officials warning this week would be particularly bad.

"We are approaching the peak," the ministry's emergencies coordinator Fernando Simon said in announcing the figures.

Health authorities are hoping it will soon become clear whether the lockdown is having the desired effect.

The Madrid region has suffered the brunt of the epidemic with 14,597 infections -- just under a third of the total -- and 1,825 deaths, or 53 percent of the national figure.

With hospitals on the brink of collapse from the surge in patients, troops have set up a massive field hospital in Madrid's vast IFEMA exhibition centre which currently has 1,500 beds but which could be expanded to take in up to 5,500 people -- making it the largest hospital in Spain.

And with the city's funeral services overwhelmed, officials have commandeered the Palacio de Hielo ice skating rink to serve as a temporary morgue.