Maharashtra Reconstitutes Task Force On Covid-19, Former ICMR Chief Dr Raman Gangakhedkar To Lead Team

Having disbanded the Covid task force several months ago, the state health department is now introducing a new task force to provide guidance to the government in crafting essential rules and regulations to curb the virus's spread as cases increase.

Simultaneously, as the government ramps up daily testing to an average of 3,500, Maharashtra has experienced a notable drop in the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) — the percentage of positive Covid-19 cases among total tests conducted — which reached 1 percent on Tuesday.

In response to the surge in cases and the emergence of the JN.1 variant, Health Minister Dr. Tanaji Sawant has announced the establishment of a fresh Covid task force. Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar, former head of epidemiology and communicable diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), will lead this newly formed task force.

The task force is tasked with defining protocols for the management of severe and critical Covid-19 patients, proposing staffing levels for critical care hospitals, and outlining drug protocols for the consistent treatment of severely ill Covid patients.

Over the last 24 hours, Maharashtra conducted 3,670 tests, and out of these, 37 samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The Test Positivity Rate (TPR) was recorded at 1 percent. On Monday, the state performed a total of 1,162 tests, with 28 testing positive, resulting in a TPR of 2.4 percent. The day before, the state registered a TPR of 1.3 percent when 3,639 tests were conducted, with 50 testing positive.

Among the new cases in the state, 19 were reported in Mumbai. Presently, the city has 4,215 beds designated for the treatment of Covid-19 patients, with only nine of them currently in use.