MUMBAI: After the addition of a backlog of 1328 COVID-19 deaths in the state's tally, the mortality rate has reached 4.21 per cent in Maharashtra and 5.2 per cent in Mumbai against India’s average death rate of 3.3 per cent. Earlier, Maharashtra’s mortality rate was 3.73 per cent.
Maharashtra has recorded a total of 113445 COVID-19 cases and 5537 deaths while Mumbai has 60,142 cases and 3165 deaths.
Gujarat has reported the highest mortality rate of 6.26 per cent. According to the Maharashtra health department, Madhya Pradesh’s mortality rate is 4.25 per cent with 10,935 positive cases while West Bengal’s mortality rate is 4.22 per cent with 11494 positive cases.
Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA Devendra Fadnavis had alleged that the Uddhav Thackeray government is hiding deaths to show a lower tally. He said deaths due to COVID-19 were being shown as natural deaths. “We want the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to investigate this data concealing exercise and demand action against officers who have done this,” Fadnavis said.
However, the Maharashtra government issued a clarification, saying it was not hiding deaths. “We have corrected the mistake. It does happen during calculation. We had no intention to conceal any information and data. The Maharashtra government has been transparent since the beginning of the pandemic situation,” reads the note.
Meanwhile, MNS leader and ex-MLA Nitin Sardesai on Wednesday alleged that when test reports are ready, the BMC had asked labs to inform them first before telling the patient who had tested positive.
“There is something fishy about the BMC circular. The BMC should withdraw it and the person who is tested positive in swab test should be first informed so that he/she can mentally prepare to cope with this health issue,” the MNS leader said.