Mumbai, Mar 15 (IANS): With the number of coronavirus positive cases shooting to 31, Maharashtra has emerged as the worst-hit state by the global pandemic in the country.

Five new cases were detected in Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune district, late on Saturday night, a health official said.

In a related development, three coronavirus suspected cases who had fled from the isolation ward in the Ahmednagar Civil Hospital on Saturday, returned to the facility early on Sunday.

Similarly, three out of four coronavirus suspects who ran away from the Mayo Hospital in Nagpur have also returned, and efforts on to trace the fourth.

Maharashtra has gone into a shutdown mode with closure of all schools, colleges, malls, swimming pools, gym and fitness centers, public places, cancellation of all public events, religious processions, etc., till March 31 as a precaution.

The IIT-Bombay has also suspended all classroom and laboratory instructions till March 29 besides imposing other stringent rules for its students, hostellers, faculty, staff, visitors, etc.