MUMBAI: Maharashtra is likely to cross the grim milestone of a total of 1 lakh Covid deaths on Sunday, with only seven countries (including India) having a higher number of deaths during the pandemic.
Maharashtra’s Covid toll would be closest to France, which has recorded 1.09 lakh deaths so far.
On Saturday, when the state registered its lowest single-day case count (13,659) in 87 days or nearly 3 months (since March 10, when 13,659 cases were registered), 741 deaths were added to the toll.
Of these, only 300 deaths were registered on Saturday, while the remaining 441 were deaths that occurred over a week ago.
The state thus had a toll of 99,512 deaths on Saturday.
“With cases in the state reporting a drop for the last two weeks, the fatalities too will start to report a dip in the next few days,” said an state official.
“Maharashtra has been reporting deaths diligently and in a thorough manner.
If it has a thick tail as far as cases and deaths go, it is because of a better public health network,” said a senior doctor.
Dr Rahul Pandit, a member of the state task force, said Maharashtra’s Covid situation has been unique.
“The state has adopted the best public health measures and has recorded every case and death.” In Mumbai, the daily tally (863) dropped below 900 for the fourth day, and 29 deaths were registered.
The total tally so far in the city is 7.09 lakh and toll is 14,951.
“Mumbai is doing well.
Our caseload is stable around 900, and deaths have reduced drastically in the last fortnight,” said BMC executive health officer Dr Mangala Gomare.
In BMC-run KEM Hospital in Parel, there are 77 critical Covid patients.
“Until a week back, our in-patient numbers were in three digits,” said KEM Hospital dean Dr Hemant Deshmukh.
He said most of these patients were transferred from other hospitals or cities.
BMC officials said the number of patients coming in with the black fungus or mucormycosis has dropped in comparison to two weeks ago.
But as many of these patients require 25-days-long treatment, many are still admitted in hospital.