The Covid infections in Maharashtra on Wednesday climbed to 39,544 new cases after a minor dip on Tuesday. The total number of active cases climbed to 3.56 lakh in the state with Pune district continuing at top position with 64,277 cases.

A press statement issued by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme of the State Health Department said that on Wednesday 23,600 patients were discharged taking the total number of patients recovered to 24 lakh.

The recovery rate in the state is 85.34 per cent. Wednesday also saw deaths of 227 due to Covid. The case fatality rate in the state is 1.94 per cent. Currently, 17.29 lakh people are in home quarantine and 17,863 people are in institutional quarantine.

In another significant development, the State Health Minister, Rajesh Tope also announced that the rates for Covid tests performed in private laboratories have been revised once again.Now, ₹500 will be charged for RTPCR testing. In addition, the rate for rapid antigen antibody testing has also been reduced to ₹150.

The incidence of corona has been felt since last year. Against this backdrop, the state government has been fixing the rates of corona tests in private laboratories and has so far revised the rates at least five to six times. The rates were reduced from ₹4,500 to Rs ₹500, Tope said.

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