In a massive spike in COVID-19 cases, 23,179 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Wednesday (March 17) in Maharashtra. This is the highest single-day surge since September 16 when the state had reported 23,365 COVID-19 cases.
Besides, 84 COVID-19 deaths were recorded in the day, taking the death toll to 53,080. The case fatality rate in the state is 2.24%.
9,138 patients were discharged in the day, taking the tally to 21,63,391. The recovery rate in the state stands at 91.26%.
Currently, 6,71,620 people are in home quarantine and 6,738 people are in institutional quarantine.
The total number of active cases in Maharashtra is 1,52,760.
The Mumbai circle --which consists of MCGM, Thane, TMC, Navi Mumbai, KDMC, Ulhasnagar MC, Bhivandi Nijampur MC, Mira Bhayandar MC, Palghar, Vasai Virar MC, Raigad, Panvel MC--recorded 4811 new cases on Wednesday.
The Nashik circle--which consists of Nashik, Nashik MC, Malegaon MC, Ahmednagar, Ahmednagar MC, Dhule, Dhule MC, Jalgaon, Jalgaon MC, Nandurbar--reported 4017 fresh COVID-19 cases.
The Pune circle--which includes Pune, PMC, PCMC, Solapur, Solapur MC, Satara--recorded 5268 new cases.
The Kolhapur circle reported 193 new cases, Aurangabad circle 1601, Latur circle 1044, Akola circle 2100, and Nagpur circle recorded 4145 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday during a virtual interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi put forth a few requests. He urged the Centre to permit more vaccination centres to be set up so as to speed up the inoculation drive. He also requested PM Modi to allow the state's Haffkine Bio-pharmaceutical Corporation Limited to produce the COVID-19 vaccine. He said the vaccine technology be transferred under Mission Covid Suraksha to the company under the guidance of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Thackeray said the state aims to vaccinate up to 3 lakh people daily, and requested more for vaccine doses as the state has a stock of only 10 days left. 35,52,000 vaccine doses have so far been given, while 31,38,463 doses are remaining, he said. Uddhav also demanded that everyone above the age of 45 years should be vaccinated.
Besides, the Union Health Secretary termed the vaccination rate in Maharashtra--1,38,957 doses daily on an average--satisfactory as compared to some other major states. However, he said the rate should be increased further. The Union Health Secretary also expressed satisfaction over the RT-PCR tests conducted in the state.
