COVID: Positivity, mortality rates rise as rural Maharashtra becomes a concern

Express News Service

MUMBAI: Covid-19 positivity rate in Mumbai has come down from 17 to 9% while positive cases have been surging in rural Maharashtra with a high mortality rate, as per the state government’s weekly report.It said the Nandurbar tribal district has recorded the highest 2.93% mortality rate, in Hingoli it is 2.46 % and 2.33% in Sindhudurg. In Nanded, the mortality rate is 2.29% and 1.19% in Aurangabad.Maharashtra’s average mortality rate is 0.98% over the last week. There are 22 districts which are witnessing a surge in positive cases with a high mortality rate in the state.

The report reveals that Covid positive patients’ weekly growth rate is also higher in rural areas. The 3.18% growth rate in Ratnagiri, 2.83% in Budhana, 2.67 per cent in Parbhani, 2.64% in Beed, and 2.60% growth rate of positive cases in Sindhurgh. In Mumbai the growth rate is 0.51% while the doubling ratio is 130 days with 90% per cent recovery.

The weekly positivity is the highest in Palghar at 40.85%, while it is 39.25% in Budhana and 39.02% in Ahmednagar, 34.87% in Hingoli, 34.37% in Satara and 32.77% in Parbhani, 31.96% in Beed. In Pune, the positivity rate is 29.15%, while it is 29.20% in Nasik and 26.45% in Thane over the last week.State Health minister Rajesh Tope says positive cases are plummeting in 15 districts, but there is a surge in the remaining 22 districts in the state. He said lockdown has helped in containing the spread of the virus, but in rural Maharashtra, positive cases are rising.

“In the urban localities, people are following lockdown measures strictly, but in rural areas, people are still casual, resulted in the spike in positive cases. If required, more stringent measures will be imposed to contain the spread of the virus and bring down positivity and mortality rates,” Tope said. Latur, the rural district of Maharashtra, is witnessing a major surge in positive cases. The local authority has declared a six-day lockdown starting Saturday at 7 am. So far, 1,467 patients have lost their lives and 65,015 patients have recovered in the district while there are 11,608 active Covid cases in Latur.