Maharashtra's COVID-19 cases spiked by 7,827 to 2,54,427 on Sunday while the number of fatalities mounted by 173, including 102 deaths in Mumbai metropolitan region, to 10,289, state Health department said.
With the number of the recovered cases rising to 1,40,325, including 3,340 in the day, the state now has 1,03,813 active cases.
Expressing concern over rising number of COVID-19 cases, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said the government was planning to set up sample testing laboratories in all districts.
Thackeray has inaugurated a COVID RT-PCR laboratory in Jalna city in Marathwada via video conferencing from Mumbai. RT-PCR or the real-time polymerase chain reaction test is the most commonly used one for Covid-19.
"When coronavirus transmission began, we had only two testing labs. That number has gone up to 110 now. The state is now planning to set up such testing facilities in every district," he said.
The CM said the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic should be fought with a positive mindset adding, that the state government has augmented various health facilities for people, and also ramped up tracing and testing, he said.
"....Some places have temporary facilities but the government is planning to make them permanent," the chief minister said.
Health and Jalna district guardian minister Rajesh Tope said results of samples will now be available quickly through the BSL-3 type new laboratory.
"The laboratory can also test HIV samples," he said, adding that plasma and antibody testing machines will also be made available soon.
Union Minister and local MP Raosaheb Danve said the state and Central governments are taking steps to curb the pandemic.
District collector Ravindra Binwade said the newly-inaugurated laboratory has been established with the expenditure of Rs 1.07 crore. "It has the capacity to test 500 swab samples," he added.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), including Mumbai city, reported the highest 4,475 cases in the day, taking the total count to 1,73,060. With 102 deaths in the day, the toll in the MMR has mounted to 7,281, the Health department said.
Mumbai city alone reported 1,243 new cases and 44 deaths, taking its overall case count to 92,988 and the number
of fatalities to 5,288, it said.
Thane city and Kalyan-Dombivali belt have emerged as fresh hotspots with 14,757 and 14,611 cases, respectively.
Kalyan-Dombivali reported 779 new cases in the day.
From rest of the state, Pune city saw a rise of 990 cases, while the case tally in Pimpri Chinchwad mounted by 561.
Aurangabad has reported 155 new cases and Nashik 138, the Health department said.
Maharashtra's COVID-19 recovery rate now stands at 55.15 per cent while the fatality rate is 4.04 per cent.
Currently, 6,86,150 people are home quarantined while 47,801 are placed under institutional quarantine, as per Health department.
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