Maharashtra’s count of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) passed the 1 million mark with 22,543 new infections and 416 deaths in a single day, the state health department said on Sunday.
The western state remains the most affected region in the country with 1,060,308 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease, while its death toll has risen to 29,531.
Amid mounting Covid-19 cases, Prime Minister Uddhav Thackeray warned on Sunday that the situation is likely to get worse in the coming days. He advised people to take precautions and follow social distancing rules, as the coronavirus pandemic, he noted, could take a “monstrous form.”
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“The scenario I feared is before us now. Coronavirus cases are on the rise and will continue to rise. Cases have started to rise again in Mumbai and other areas. They are also spreading to rural areas. There is concern that it could take a disastrous form. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also stated that this may be an indication of another major crisis, ”Thackeray said.
“Like other countries, the state will have to start penalizing people for violating social distancing. For example, people will be fined for not wearing a mask in a public place; action against people for crowding a public place, etc. We will have to take action as people are not following the rules seriously, ”added the prime minister.
The data showed that Covid-19 cases in Mumbai reached 169,741 with 2,085 recent infections and the city’s death toll rose to 8,150.
Even with the increase in new Covid-19 cases, Maharashtra is hopeful as the state also has the highest number of people who have recovered from the viral infection. As of Sunday, up to 740,061 people had been discharged from hospitals or recovered in home isolation with 11,549 recoveries reported in the past 24 hours, according to the state health department.
Maharashtra has reported 17.2% of the total recovered cases in the country, the Union Health Ministry said early Sunday.
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To deal with the pandemic, the state government launched a state campaign on Sunday, ‘My family, my responsibility.’ The campaign will aim to achieve effective health education for the control of the Covid-19 outbreak, according to the commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), IS Chahal. As part of the campaign, the authorities will survey 22.5 million families twice a month.
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