Mumbai, Apr 13 (IANS): Mumbai became the first city in the country to record a three-digit fatality figure with Covid-19 deaths touching 100, while Maharashtra notched the highest number of fresh cases in a single day - 352, taking the total infectees to 2,334, officials said here on Monday.
Among the nine deaths in Mumbai were six women, including an 87-year-old and three men, including an 82-year-old, and seven of the victims had other serious health problems like diabetes, heart, hypertension, etc.
Apart from Mumbai's 9 casualties, one death each was reported from Thane's Mira-Bhayander town and one in Pune.
The number of new cases shot up to 242 in Mumbai including 43 in Dharavi, while 39 cases were reported from Pune, 14 from Malegaon (Nashik), 13 from Thane including 3 policemen, 11 from Nagpur, five from Palghar, four each from Buldhana and Aurangabad, two from Raigad, besides one each from other districts like Ahmednagar, Dhule, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, and Yavatmal.
On the positive side in Mumbai, 43 patients were fully cured and discharged on Monday, taking the total number of recoveries to 141.
In a significant development, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced a special task force of prominent doctors who will advise the state government on ways and means to tackle the Covid-19 crisis which has claimed 161 victims so far.
The medicos who are specialists in various fields, include Sanjay Oak, S. Nagaonkar, Zarir Udwadia, Kedar Toraskar, Rahul Pandit, N. D. Karnik, Zaheer Virani, Pravin Bangar, and Om Shrivastava, and will give their guidance through a hotline.
The development came a day after Mumbai recorded the highest deaths in a single day - 16 - of Covid-19 patients on Sunday as the state extended the lockdown till April 30.
In view of the steeply increasing figures of fatalities and new cases in the city, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar and Police Commissioner Parambir Singh held detailed discussions on the issue and how to tackle it.
In view of the difficulties in paying bills offline, Energy Minister Nitin Raut said the government may consider extending the dates for payment of electricity bills for consumers.
The BMC has appealed to all people, especially senior citizens, suffering from serious ailments like diabetes, heart problems, hypertension, or other chronic illnesses, to remain strictly indoors in view of the pandemic.
They are also advised to regularly continue with all medication but in case of slightest discomfort, consult a doctor immediately.