Highlights
- Mumbai, Amravati, Akola and Yavatmal are observing a spike in COVID cases
- Mumbai reported 897 new cases on February 21
- Maharashtra government may impose a stricter lockdown in these districts
New Delhi: As Maharashtra remains one of the worst-hit states, with the maximum number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the country, several cases of coronavirus mutation have been observed in the state, a senior scientist informed NDTV. Dr TP Lahane, the Director of Medical Education and Research, Maharashtra said that they are yet to observe behaviour including how fast or slow the new variant infects people, Dr Lahane also pointed out that it is ‘too early to call it a strain’.
Also Read: India Fights COVID-19: What Can Be Done To Speed Up Vaccination In The Country?
It is early days yet and more sequencing and study needs to be carried out to know about the ‘infectiveness’ of the mutant variety. The scientists are doing gene sequencing for this and the results will be available in 10 to 15 days. A detailed study has to be conducted.
Maharashtra is witnessing a surge in cases after a two-month calm. The state reported 6,971 fresh cases and 2,417 recoveries in the last 24 hours. As per the state health department, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra reached 21,00,884. The number of active cases stands at 52,956 in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Mumbai recorded more than almost 900 cases for a second straight day, pushing the authorities to impose fresh restrictions like banning all types of public gatherings.
Amid increasing cases of coronavirus in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has given a stern warning to the people of the state and said there will be a total lockdown if people don’t start wearing face masks.
Lockdown will not start all of a sudden. We aren’t putting a stop to any development works. Lockdown will start from tomorrow evening wherever needed, the Maharashtra CM said.
Calling the coronavirus situation in Maharashtra “serious”, CM Thackeray informed that the coming eight days will decide whether there will be a lockdown in the state as daily COVID cases continue to rise.
Lax attitude among authorities as well as citizens, when it comes to observing COVID safety measures, Dr Lahane told NDTV,
I think the spike is because of this and not because it is a new strain and it is too early to say that it is a new strain.
Also Read: COVID-19 Vaccine Explainer: How Do Vaccines Work?
Dr Subhash Salunke, Senior Advisor, Public Health Foundation of India – Maharashtra, also tells NDTV that the spike in the cases could be attributed multiple factors but primarily because people collectively are flouting COVID-19 safety protocols.
People have forgotten or are not bothered about the existence of the global pandemic. Now that life is back to normal in a lot of regions in the country, no one is looking at the numbers of COVID-19 cases. Also, there are many public gatherings taking place, be it in hotels, malls, restaurants, or weddings, these are definitely a contributing factor to the rising cases. No COVID appropriate behaviour is being observed in the state – be it social distancing or wearing masks. Lastly, in Amravati or Akola, some virus changes have been observed wherein the infectivity is increased.
As per Dr Lahane, the sequencing tests were conducted in Amaravati, Akola and Yavatmal districts of the state. The mutations have been found in three samples in Amaravati, three in Yavatmal and two in Akola. The results came in on Tuesday, Dr Lahane said and the tests were started 15 days ago.
It takes near about eight to 10 days to do the sequencing and in that, we have seen a change in sequence of the spike protein, he told NDTV.
As per (Indian Council of Medical Research) ICMR data, the South African strain of the virus has been detected in four people and the Brazil variant seen in one; while there are 187 cases of the UK strain.
You can say a few things with this strain are consistent with the United Kingdom strain, but it is not an actual United Kingdom variety. It is some different mutation that we have seen in the cases in the three districts, and for that to figure out its characteristics we have to do more sequencing, Dr Lahane said.
The scientists now need to observe the mutation, calculate its infectivity and if it is more, figure out precautions, surveillance and other things.
Also Read: Amravati Surge Due To Mutation, People’s Carelessness: Maharashtra Official
Is A Statewide Lockdown The Answer?
With the rise, the authorities have imposed a weekend lockdown from Saturday evening to Monday morning in Amravati. While, in Yavatmal, schools and colleges will remain closed till February 28. Restaurants and wedding halls will operate but with less than 50 per cent capacity and assembly of five or more people will not be allowed.
In Mumbai, the Mumbai Mayor, Kishori Pednekar warned the citizens that it is in their hands to avert another COVID-induced lockdown by wearing masks and maintaining social distance. She said,
Rising number of cases is a matter of concern. 60 out of 100 people travelling in trains don’t wear masks. People must take precautions else we would head towards another lockdown. Our Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister are also worried about the situation. Whether lockdown will be implemented again is in the hands of people.
NDTV asked the BMC official if the financial capital could go into another lockdown, in order to control the cases.
We don’t want to put our citizens in a situation that they were in during the nationwide lockdown. Crores of people had to suffer in various ways but if set rules and guidelines aren’t being followed then we might have to look at the option of imposing lockdown again. We have already imposed local area restrictions In certain areas of Mumbai. However, if the daily cases cross the 1000-mark, then we might have to go with the extreme measure of imposing a lockdown.
Also Read: Coronavirus Explained: What Is The Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine Being Used In India And How Safe Is It?
The Maharashtra government may impose a stricter lockdown in Yavatmal, Amravati and Akola cities of the state’s Vidarbha region “at any moment” in view of the COVID-19 situation there, as per the BMC official.
Dr Subhash Salunke says that the state does not need a full sledged lockdown since the virus outbreaks are happening in a patchy or clustered way.
Local containment measures and restrictions are needed to be observed and these measures have to be of serious nature. We need to stop the transmission completely. Even in the cities that are struggling with the crisis, we do not need a lockdown, we just need strictness and following of the protocols. Provided, in the next week cases do not rise. At this juncture, I do not recommend a total lockdown but localised containment measures are definitely essential. In case e don’t get positive results, then lockdown is the last resort.
Dr Salunke says that as per the government data from early February, around 14-15 districts were conducting fewer than 500 tests in a day. A significant decline was observed in districts such as Parbhani, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, where somedays 200 samples were tested in the district. On Wednesday (February 17), over 58,000 tests were carried out in the state, up from 37,000-50,000 in the previous few weeks.
He said that the government is lacking majorly in not only testing but also contact tracing.
Dr Salunke, who is gearing up for his booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine in the next 3 days, says that he didn’t experience any kind of side effects from the vaccine. When it comes to the vaccine roll-out in the state, he says that vaccine should be available to all the citizens who want to take a shot. He says that this will help in controlling the spike and save numerous lives.
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.
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State & District Details
State | Cases | Active | Recovered | Deaths |
---|---|---|---|---|
DistrictCases Mumbai45,478 Thane13,660 Pune9,920 Mumbai Suburban5,363 Aurangabad1,974 Nashik1,575 Raigad1,462 Palghar1,421 Solapur1,291 Jalgaon1,039 Akola757 Nagpur692 Kolhapur646 Satara629 Ratnagiri350 Amravati291 Dhule228 Hingoli208 Jalna201 Ahmednagar190 Nanded176 Yavatmal150 Sangli145 Latur139 Osmanabad125 Sindhudurg114 Buldhana88 Parbhani78 gondia69 Beed54 Nandurbar42 Gadchiroli42 Bhandara41 Chandrapur32 Washim13 Wardha11 | 21,29,821 8,702 | 65,461 4,902 | 20,12,367 3,744 | 51,993 56 |
DistrictCases Kannur357 Kasaragod333 Palakkad224 Malappuram119 Kollam118 Thrissur106 Thiruvananthapuram104 Pathanamthitta98 Kozhikode90 Alappuzha76 Kottayam73 Ernakulam60 Idukki40 Wayanad36 | 10,48,686 3,677 | 52,164 989 | 9,92,372 4,652 | 4,150 14 |
DistrictCases Udupi1,176 Kalaburagi669 Yadgir538 Bengaluru Urban529 Raichur369 Mandya346 Belagavi337 Bidar219 Hassan205 Davangere204 Vijayapura201 Dakshina Kannada179 Chikkaballapura149 Mysuru107 Bagalkote103 Uttara Kannada95 Shivamogga67 Dharwad61 Ballari60 Gadag45 Bengaluru Rural40 Tumakuru36 Kolar29 Haveri24 Chikkamagaluru19 Chitradurga14 Koppal5 Kodagu4 Ramanagara3 Chamarajanagara0 | 9,49,636 453 | 5,595 501 | 9,31,725 947 | 12,316 7 |
DistrictCases Kurnool795 Krishna557 Guntur511 Anantapur428 East Godavari356 Chittoor319 Sri Potti Sriramulu Nell*296 Y.S.R.205 West Godavari199 Srikakulam183 Prakasam104 Visakhapatnam103 Vizianagaram23 | 8,89,585 82 | 611 8 | 8,81,806 74 | 7,168 |
DistrictCases Chennai23,324 Chengalpattu1,314 Thiruvallur774 Villupuram509 Kanchipuram503 Tiruvannamalai496 Cuddalore477 Ariyalur444 Tirunelveli433 Tuticorin333 Kallakurichi324 Madurai322 Salem258 Coimbatore188 Virudhunagar185 Dindigul175 Perambalur133 Ranipet133 Thanjavur130 Theni129 Tiruchirappalli119 Ramanathapuram119 Tiruppur116 Kanniyakumari110 Tenkasi103 Nagapattinam99 Karur88 Namakkal83 Erode75 Vellore71 Thiruvarur67 Pudukkottai53 Sivaganga46 Tirupathur45 Krishnagiri43 The Nilgiris17 Dharmapuri15 | 8,50,096 467 | 4,053 9 | 8,33,560 471 | 12,483 5 |
DistrictCases North West5,463 Central4,817 West4,768 New Delhi3,405 North3,059 East2,472 South East2,446 South West2,391 South2,329 North East1,914 Shahdara1,580 | 6,38,593 220 | 1,169 32 | 6,26,519 188 | 10,905 |
DistrictCases Gautam Buddha Nagar1,119 Agra933 Ghaziabad794 Meerut504 Lucknow386 Saharanpur298 Kanpur Nagar286 Moradabad252 Varanasi243 Hapur225 Aligarh215 Basti214 Amethi206 Rampur203 Jaunpur194 Firozabad190 Barabanki168 Gorakhpur166 Bulandshahr166 Siddharth Nagar159 Ghazipur159 Bijnor157 Deoria143 Azamgarh138 Sant Kabeer Nagar132 Mathura129 Ayodhya120 Muzaffarnagar117 Sambhal116 Sultanpur97 Ambedkar Nagar92 Maharajganj85 Amroha80 Rae Bareli78 Bahraich73 Kheri72 Kannauj69 Baghpat68 Kushi Nagar67 Bhadohi60 Ballia60 Gonda59 Etah52 Hardoi49 Balrampur49 Mau48 Mainpuri46 Etawah46 Hathras43 Unnao42 Jalaun41 Jhansi41 Shamli40 Chandauli38 Auraiya37 Farrukhabad36 Sitapur32 Prayagraj30 Banda27 Shahjahanpur25 Shravasti23 Budaun23 Mirzapur22 Bareilly17 Kasganj16 Pratapgarh15 Pilibhit15 Sonbhadra10 Kaushambi6 Kanpur Dehat4 Chitrakoot4 Lalitpur3 Hamirpur3 Mahoba3 Fatehpur3 | 6,03,232 129 | 2,182 8 | 5,92,327 135 | 8,723 2 |
DistrictCases Kolkata2,777 Howrah1,435 24 Paraganas North1,031 Hooghly604 24 Paraganas South281 Maldah235 Dinajpur Uttar216 Coochbehar210 Birbhum206 Medinipur West159 Medinipur East153 Nadia139 Purba Bardhaman130 Murshidabad125 Bankura116 Darjeeling97 Jalpaiguri88 Paschim Bardhaman70 Purulia66 Dinajpur Dakshin50 Alipurduar39 Kalimpong18 Jhargram9 | 5,74,500 199 | 3,353 24 | 5,60,887 219 | 10,260 4 |
DistrictCases Ganjam581 Jajapur322 Khordha238 Baleshwar190 Kendrapara164 Cuttack155 Bhadrak137 Balangir129 Puri103 Sundargarh102 Jagatsinghapur91 Nayagarh86 Mayurbhanj73 Nuapada69 Gajapati61 Dhenkanal36 Boudh34 Kendujhar34 Deogarh33 Kalahandi33 Sonepur29 Kandhamal28 Anugul26 Malkangiri20 Bargarh16 Koraput16 Sambalpur16 Jharsuguda8 Nabarangpur2 Rayagada2 | 3,36,924 89 | 609 21 | 3,34,400 67 | 1,915 1 |
DistrictCases Jaipur2,177 Jodhpur1,748 Udaipur724 Bharatpur563 Kota503 Nagaur500 Ajmer379 Dungarpur374 Pali352 Jhalawar329 Bhilwara250 Sikar231 Chittorgarh188 Tonk171 Jalore164 Rajsamand140 Sirohi130 Bikaner112 Banswara91 Alwar90 Churu81 Jhunjhunu64 Dausa61 Dholpur60 Baran59 Jaisalmer53 Barmer34 Hanumangarh31 SawaiMadhopur26 Karauli17 Pratapgarh14 Ganganagar8 Bundi5 | 3,19,929 128 | 1,208 4 | 3,15,936 124 | 2,785 |
DistrictCases Bilaspur100 Korba100 Mungeli87 Baloda Bazar85 Jashpur77 Janjgir-Champa56 Mahasamund54 Rajnandgaon52 Kabirdham52 Raigarh47 Raipur46 Balod41 Korea39 Durg31 Bemetara21 Kanker19 Balrampur17 Surguja14 Gariyaband10 Surajpur9 Dhamtari6 Bijapur2 Bastar2 Dantewada0 Kondagaon0 Narayanpur0 Sukma0 | 3,11,900 220 | 2,865 46 | 3,05,214 258 | 3,821 8 |
DistrictCases Hyderabad2,475 Ranga Reddy183 Suryapet87 Jagitial77 Nizamabad76 MedchalMalkajgiri75 Mancherial43 YadadriBhuvanagiri40 Jogulamba Gadwal40 Vikarabad40 Nalgonda33 Warangal Urban32 Mahabubnagar30 Sangareddy26 Khammam26 Adilabad22 Nirmal21 Karimnagar17 RajannaSircilla16 Medak11 Kamareddy11 Mahabubabad10 Jayashankar Bhupalapally9 Nagarkurnool8 Kumuram Bheem Asifabad8 Jangoan8 Siddipet7 Peddapalli5 Bhadradri Kothagudem5 Warangal Rural4 Mulugu3 Narayanpet3 Wanaparthy1 | 2,98,453 189 | 1,910 58 | 2,94,911 129 | 1,632 2 |
DistrictCases Gurugram2,950 Faridabad867 Sonipat404 Rohtak145 Palwal120 Jhajjar114 Karnal104 Hisar98 Ambala93 Panipat78 Nuh68 Bhiwani60 Rewari56 Kurukshetra55 Sirsa50 Kaithal48 Mahendragarh47 CharkiDadri43 Panchkula39 Fatehabad38 Jind38 Yamunanagar19 | 2,70,263 166 | 1,054 99 | 2,66,166 67 | 3,043 |
DistrictCases Ahmadabad17,125 Surat2,311 Vadodara1,555 Gandhinagar410 Mahesana159 Banas Kantha147 Bhavnagar146 Rajkot135 Arvalli134 Mahisagar125 Anand107 PanchMahals107 Patan105 SabarKantha101 Kachchh99 Kheda98 Jamnagar63 Bharuch56 Botad55 Surendranagar55 Valsad47 GirSomnath45 Dohad43 Chhotaudepur37 Naysari35 Junagadh31 Narmada25 DevbhumiDwarka22 Amreli16 Porbandar11 Tapi6 Dang5 Morbi4 | 2,68,571 424 | 1,991 122 | 2,62,172 301 | 4,408 1 |
DistrictCases Patna279 Bhagalpur266 Rohtas256 Khagaria253 Begusarai243 Madhubani199 Munger188 Jehanabad178 Katihar175 Darbhanga143 Samastipur139 Siwan139 PurbiChamparan138 Purnia135 Banka134 Buxar134 Nalanda123 Gopalganj123 Nawada122 Sheikhpura118 Gaya115 Kaimur (bhabua)105 Bhojpur103 Saran101 Muzaffarpur96 Saharsa88 Supaul87 Vaishali87 Madhepura82 Kishanganj75 Aurangabad75 Sitamarhi73 Lakhisarai72 Araria68 Pashchim Champaran57 Arwal52 Jamui47 Sheohar20 | 2,62,418 61 | 478 31 | 2,60,401 91 | 1,539 1 |
DistrictCases Indore3,839 Bhopal1,880 Ujjain799 Burhanpur351 Neemuch319 Jabalpur276 East Nimar266 Sagar228 Gwalior211 Khargone196 Dewas140 Dhar132 Mandsaur112 Morena109 Bhind87 Raisen71 Barwani60 Ratlam51 Rewa39 Shajapur39 Hoshangabad37 Vidisha37 Chhatarpur35 Betul35 Rajgarh31 Dindori29 Sheopur26 Damoh26 Satna24 Anuppur22 Panna20 Tikamgarh18 Sidhi17 Narsinghpur17 Chhindwara16 Agar Malwa15 Mandla15 Shivpuri15 Jhabua14 Shandol14 Singrauli13 Ashoknagar13 Datia12 Sehore12 Umaria10 Balaghat9 Guna8 Harda4 Alirajpur3 Katni3 Seoni2 Niwari0 | 2,60,681 368 | 2,435 165 | 2,54,387 201 | 3,859 2 |
DistrictCases Kamrup Metro276 Golaghat203 Nagaon143 Hojai89 Dima Hasao86 Karimganj85 Tinsukia84 Cachar80 Dibrugarh61 Hailakandi57 Lakhimpur57 Marigaon50 Dhemaji47 Kamrup42 Kokrajhar37 Dhubri30 Charaideo29 Barpeta28 Udalguri28 Sonitpur27 Jorhat24 Nalbari23 Darrang20 Sivasagar20 Goalpara19 Biswanath16 Baksa14 KarbiAnglong13 Bongaigaon12 Chirang6 West KarbiAnglong5 South SalmaraMancachar4 Majuli2 | 2,17,484 30 | 1,623 17 | 2,14,770 13 | 1,091 |
DistrictCases Amritsar485 Jalandhar297 Ludhiana293 Tarn Taran163 Gurdaspur154 Hoshiarpur140 S.A.S Nagar137 Patiala132 Sangrur107 Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr)99 Pathankot86 Rupnagar (Ropar)74 Faridkot74 Sri Muktsar Sahib71 Moga65 Bathinda60 Fatehgarh Sahib57 Fazilka53 Firozepur50 Kapurthala44 Mansa31 Barnala25 | 1,80,382 563 | 3,870 272 | 1,70,713 278 | 5,799 13 |
DistrictCases Anantnag395 Srinagar300 Kulgam295 Baramulla271 Shopian255 Kupwara231 Bandipora175 Udhampur155 Ramban151 Jammu138 Budgam110 Pulwama108 Kathua53 Rajouri39 Ganderbal37 Poonch35 Doda27 Reasi26 Samba25 Kishtwar10 Mirpur0 Muzaffarabad0 | 1,26,201 108 | 820 49 | 1,23,426 59 | 1,955 |
DistrictCases East Singhbum170 Ranchi148 Hazaribagh110 Garhwa80 Ramgarh75 Koderma58 Simdega48 Dhanbad32 Gumla28 Palamu27 West Singhbhum21 SaraikelaKharsawan20 Giridih19 Bokaro16 Latehar14 Khunti10 Lohardaga8 Deoghar5 Dumka5 Pakur4 Jamtara2 Godda2 Chatra1 Sahebganj0 | 1,19,795 76 | 467 36 | 1,18,241 40 | 1,087 |
DistrictCases Dehradun370 Nainital323 Tehri Garhwal110 Haridwar94 Udam Singh Nagar83 Almora71 Champawat45 Pithoragarh43 Chamoli36 PauriGarhwal36 Bageshwar31 Rudraprayag30 Uttar Kashi24 | 97,031 | 491 0 | 94,850 | 1,690 |
DistrictCases Hamirpur117 Kangra105 Una41 Solan32 Chamba29 Bilaspur21 Mandi21 Sirmaur11 Shimla10 Kullu4 Kinnaur2 Lahaul And Spiti0 | 58,499 42 | 244 15 | 57,260 27 | 995 |
DistrictCases South Goa69 North Goa57 | 54,771 71 | 531 36 | 53,449 33 | 791 2 |
DistrictCases Pondicherry111 Mahe4 Karaikal2 Yanam0 | 39,677 21 | 196 7 | 38,814 13 | 667 1 |
DistrictCases Dhalai196 Sepahijala174 Gomati74 South Tripura53 Unakoti49 West Tripura45 Khowai24 North Tripura14 | 33,407 7 | 32 7 | 32,984 | 391 |
DistrictCases Churachandpur32 Kangpokpi26 Imphal West21 Thoubal18 Imphal East10 Tengnoupal9 Bishnupur7 Senapati6 Chandel5 Kamjong5 Ukhrul4 Jiribam3 Pherzawl3 Kakching2 Tamenglong2 Noney1 | 29,253 3 | 40 1 | 28,840 4 | 373 |
DistrictCases Chandigarh313 | 21,590 49 | 279 29 | 20,960 20 | 351 |
DistrictCases Changlang31 Papum Pare8 Lohit3 Namsai2 West Siang1 East Siang1 Upper Siang1 Tawang1 PakkeKessang1 West Kameng0 Upper Subansiri0 Tirap0 Siang0 Shi Yomi0 Anjaw0 Lower Subansiri0 Lower Dibang Valley0 Longding0 Leparada0 KurungKumey0 KraDaadi0 Kamle0 East Kameng0 Dibang Valley0 Lower Siang0 | 16,836 | 3 1 | 16,777 1 | 56 |
DistrictCases East Khasi Hills22 West Garo Hills5 South West Garo Hills4 North Garo Hills1 West Jaintia Hills1 West Khasi Hills1 East Garo Hills0 East Jaintia Hills0 Ribhoi0 South Garo Hills0 South West Khasi Hills0 | 13,961 3 | 20 2 | 13,793 1 | 148 |
DistrictCases Dimapur20 Mon8 Kohima7 Kiphire3 Tuensang3 Peren2 Phek1 Longleng0 Mokokchung0 Wokha0 Zunheboto0 | 12,198 6 | 13 5 | 12,094 1 | 91 |
DistrictCases Kargil77 LehLadakh43 | 9,814 7 | 56 3 | 9,628 4 | 130 |
DistrictCases East District3 South District3 North District0 West District0 | 6,133 1 | 43 4 | 5,955 5 | 135 |
DistrictCases South Andamans33 Nicobars1 North And Middle Andaman1 | 5,016 | 2 2 | 4,952 2 | 62 |
DistrictCases Kolasib11 Aizawl10 Mamit8 Lawngtlai2 Lunglei2 Saitual1 Champhai0 Hnahthial0 Khawzawl0 Saiha0 Serchhip0 | 4,419 6 | 27 4 | 4,382 2 | 10 |
DistrictCases Dadra And Nagar Haveli20 | 3,405 1 | 5 1 | 3,398 | 2 |
DistrictCases Lakshadweep District0 | 331 9 | 86 0 | 244 8 | 1 1 |