By Quaid Najmi

Mumbai, Jun 17 (IANS): Maharashtra recorded another 114 Covid-19 deaths, and cases crossed the 3,000 figure again with 3,307 new patients, 90 days after the first death was reported in the state, health officials said here on Wednesday.

With this, the state death toll climbed to 5,651 and total cases shot up to 116,752 till date. On May 11, the state recorded the highest new cases - 3,607 and on June 15, the maximum fatalities - 178.

For most days in June, the state has been recording three-digit deaths and 3,000-plus figures of new patients.

Wednesday's figures come to roughly three deaths every 13 minutes, and a whopping 138 new cases notched every hour in the state.

The Health Department said of the total number of cases declared till date, 51,921 were active cases - and for the third consecutive day, the number has dropped, indicating a positive sign.

Despite the gloomy data on the perpetually growing number of Covid-19 deaths and cases, the state continues to record an impressive recovery rate, standing now at 50.68 per cent, but also a worrisome mortality rate of 4.84 per cent.

Of the total 114 fatalities, Mumbai notched 77 deaths - taking the city death toll up to 3,244, while the number of Covid-19 positive patients here went up by 1,359 cases to 61,587 now.

Dharavi - Asia's biggest slum - continued to show improvements with only 17 new cases, taking the total to 2,106 cases while the number of fatalities were stable at 77.

Besides Mumbai's 77 deaths, there were 22 fatalities in Pune, seven in Jalgaon, two each in Nandurbar, Malegaon and Latur, and one each in Yavatmal and Thane (Mira-Bhayander).

On the positive side, a total of 1,315 fully cured patients returned home on Wednesday, taking the number of those discharged to 59,166.

The MMR (Thane Division) remains a 'hotspot' with a total of 4,054 Covid-19 deaths, and the number of positive cases touching 86,512.

Thane - with 20,167 cases and 642 fatalities - has emerged as the second worst-hit district after Mumbai.

Pune district has dropped to the third position with 13,250 patients and 610 deaths till now. However, Pune Division ranks second (after MMR) with 16,023 patients and 828 deaths.

The next major region of concern is Nashik Division with 379 deaths and 4,909 positive cases, followed by Aurangabad Division with 185 fatalities and 3,600 cases, and finally Akola Division with 96 deaths and 1,895 cases.

Latur Division has 35 deaths and 695 cases, Kolhapur Division40 deaths and 1,618 patients, and finally Nagpur Division, 14 deaths and 1,402 cases.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray inaugurated the second phase of 1,200-bed ground hospital at Bandra Kurla Complex, a month after the first phase of the 1,000-bed facility became operational in the same premises.

The BKC hospital has 108 ICU beds and 12 for dialysis and 392 beds with oxygen, and other facilities, making these the first of its kind in the country, he said.

Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde inaugurated a 1,024-bed hospital with 500 oxygen beds, 76 ICU beds, 20 beds for dialysis and triage patients, and scope to expand by another 300 beds.

Shinde said similar mega-health facilities are coming up in Kalyan-Dombivali, Badlapur and Bhiwandi towns in Thane district, the country's second worst-hit after Mumbai district.

Meanwhile, the number of people sent to home-quarantine decreased from Tuesday's 586,686 to 582,699 now, while those in institutional quarantine increased from 27,242 to 27,582.

There are as many as 80,545 beds currently available in 1,555 institutions for Covid-19 related quarantine in the state as on Wednesday.