MUMBAI: In a sero-survey, it has been found that Pune is a new hotspot of COVID-19 patients in Maharashtra.
The infection rate has reached almost upto 65 per cent in some pockets of the city against 57 per cent in Mumbai. However, Pune Municipal Corporation got solace in the mortality rate that is lesser than the state capital.
Pune Divisional Commissioner Saurabh Rao on Monday said that the city is the only place where swab-testing is happening in large numbers in comparison to the population. He said that daily they are testing 10,000 swabs in the concentrated areas.
"In Pune, the the mortality rate of COVID-19 positive patients is 2.23 per cent against 3.20 per cent of Mumbai. While the doubling rate of COVID-19 patients are 35 days in Pune. Mumbai has 24 per cent positivity rate against 22 per cent in Pune. We will bring down the positivity rate below 10 per cent soon as per the advice of ICMR," said Rao.
In Mumbai, total 1,28,736 COVID-19 positive patients detected, 103468 recovery and 7133 deaths reported. While in Pune 1,30,606 total cases, 86,393 recovery and 3193 deaths reported. The active positive patients in Pune are 41,020 against 17,825 in Mumbai.
Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohal said that there are many unaccounted deaths that are not counted into the Covid 19 official death tally because of several reasons. He said the administration should take the confidence the local leaders while initiating any program to contain the virus.
"In Pune, the Kasarwadi, Lohiya Nagar, the concentrated slum pocket has recorded the highest 65 per cent Coronavirus infection. Lohiyanagar is like the Dharavi of Pune. But the administration is putting all efforts to contain the virus as per the chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s suggestions of following four Ts – tracking, tracing, testing and testing," said Pune health officer Ramchandra Hankare.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has been also conducting several meetings and asked the officials to follow the Mumbai model to contain the virus.