The pandemic situation in Maharashtra is getting grimmer with the mortality increasing to 5.99 per cent, which is highest in the country. A press statement issued by the State Government on Tuesday evening after a Cabinet meeting said that, till date, 52 persons have died because of viral infection out of which 11 were not suffering from any other health problems.

In the last 24 hours, the number of corona-positive patients has risen by 23 to reach 868. Ever since the outbreak, the pathology labs in the State have checked 17,563 samples of which 15,808 were found negative. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray would also be reviewing lifting the lockdown after April 14, the statement said.

Due to the seriousness of the pandemic in Maharashtra, timely steps have been taken to control the situation. The Mumbai region has 525 patients and 34 deaths, the highest in the State. Pune region is at the second rung, with 131 patients and five deaths,

Of the total population of 11.19 crore people in Maharashtra, 868 patients have the infection, which statically means 0.077 patients per 10,000 population. Of the total number of patients, 63 per cent are male and 37 per cent female, the statement said.

Via video conferencing

Given the rising threat, the Maharashtra Government, also for the first time, held the cabinet meeting via video conferencing. During the meeting, the Cabinet decided that the State Government-subsidised ‘Shiv Bhojan Thali’, available at ₹5 per plate for the next three months, would be provided even at taluka level in the State. The government has already slashed the prices of Shiv Bhojan Thali from ₹10 to ₹5 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The cabinet also decided to amend the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act to get additional financial aid from charitable trusts. For migrant labourers, breakfast, lunch and dinner are being provided daily to 5.50 lakh persons, the statement added.

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