The sharp rise comes even as Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope admitted that Covid-19 cases have been increasing in Mumbai, Pune and Thane.
Mumbai on Wednesday reported 739 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, a jump of 46 per cent since Tuesday when the city saw 506 infections. The positivity rate stood at 8.4 per cent. The Maharashtra capital, however, registered zero death.
The sharp rise comes even as Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope admitted on Wednesday that Covid-19 cases have been increasing in Mumbai, Pune and Thane. Addressing a press conference, he said, “There are 3,475 cases (in Mumbai, Pune and Thane) of which 2,500 cases are from Mumbai alone.”
Tope said people need to take precautions and avoid leaving homes unless necessary. “Use of masks will be made mandatory,” the minister said during the press conference.
On Tuesday, Mumbai saw a 200 per cent increase in Covid cases in May compared to cases in April.
The city also saw a 133 per cent increase in the first half of May compared to the second half.
On Wednesday, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal instructed civic officials to ramp up testing for Covid on a war footing and keep the staff of jumbo field hospitals on alert in wake of a tremendous rise in new cases over the past few weeks.
