At 694, Maharashtra sees 63% jump in daily Covid cases, active tally rises to 3,016

Maharashtra on Thursday reported 63% jump in new Covid cases at 694 new cases. This is the highest number in 152 days. The last time the state recorded such a high count was on October 27 at 972 cases.

The state's active tally stands at 3,016. No deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours and the state's fatality rate stands at 1.82%.

The state's positivity rate stands at 6.38%. Mumbai and nearby areas reported 358 new cases while Pune Circle saw 188 new cases in the last 24 hours. 

The state government has appealed to people to avoid gathering in crowded places and has urged them to use masks to minimise the spread of the infection.

Solapur and Sangli districts have topped the positivity chart in Maharashtra with 20.05% and 17.47% rate, respectively, in March, said the state health department on Thursday.

''Four weeks back, the state had a positivity rate of 1.05% but between March 22 and 28, it reported 6.15%. The districts with a rise in positivity rate include Solapur (20.05%), Sangli (17.47%), Kolhapur (15.35%), Pune (12.33%), Nashik 7.84% and Ahmednagar (7.56%),'' said the department in a statement.

The department confirmed the new COVID-19 variant -- XBB.1.16 -- has been found in swab samples of 230 patients in the state so far.

''Out of the 230 cases, 151 are from Pune followed by Aurangabad 24, Thane 23, Kolhapur and Ahmednagar 11 each, Amravati 8 and one each in Mumbai and Raigad. Out of the 230 cases, one patient has succumbed to the infection while others have recovered,'' said the statement.

A total of 3,016 new Covid cases were recorded in the last 24 hours across the country with a daily positive rate of 2.73%, a government release said on Thursday, adding that 15,784 doses of COVID vaccines were administered during the same period. According to the release, 1,10,522 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of tests conducted so far to 92.14 crores.