Express News Service
Five districts in Maharashtra were declared critical because of their high Covid-19 positivity rate. The positivity rate was between 17 percent to 21 percent as against the state’s average of 11.06 percent.
According to the Maharashtra health department data, these critical and high alert districts are Satara, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad, and Hingoli.
In the last week, Satara has reported the 21. 93 percent positivity rate while Sindhudurg reported a 21.50 percent positivity rate. In Ratnagiri, the positivity rate is 19.89 percent while Raigad and Hingoli reported an 18.69 percent and 17.21 percent positivity rate, respectively.
Maharashtra’s average positivity rate initially was 24.26 percent from April 28 to May 5 but it came down to 22.57 percent in the week of May 5 to May 11. From May 12 to May 18, the positivity rate was 16.08 percent.
In the last week between May 19 to May 25, the positivity rate of the state was 11.06 percent.
Apart from these high alert and critical districts, there are 18 other districts that include Amaravati, Budhana, Pune, Nagpur etc whose positivity rate is more than the state average positivity. Maharashtra government has not allowed the positive patients of these districts to be under home isolation for the Covid-19 treatment. The positive patients have to take treatment either in hospitals or the Covid care center.
In Maharashtra, there is a total of 3,14,338 active positive patients, out of it, 36 percent patients (1,14, 592) are taking treatment in hospitals 63 percent (2,59,668 ) are asymptomatic patients while 17.39 percent (54,680) are serious patients and 6.19 percent (19,465) patients are in ICU. Three percent of patients are on oxygen while 2.23 percent (7023) patients are on ventilators across the state.
The highest percentage of positive patients are reported from Pune – 45,655 (14.49%), Mumbai – 28,074 (8.11%). Thane, Satara and Kolhapur contributes 21,949 (7.94%), 19,958 (6.34%) and 16,962 (5.38%) respectively, and are active positive patients registered in respective districts.
Maharashtra Health minister Rajesh Tope said that the situation improving but they cannot afford to lift the complete lockdown.
“The presently the positive cases are the same as was reported in the first Covid 19 wave’s peak in September. We have decided to extend the lockdown for more than 15 days after June 1. However, the restrictions will be also eased out where the positivity rate is lower than the state average. In Pune, the weekend lockdown is ended. Now, all shops will remain open on all days of the week,” Tope added.
