For the first time since April 2020, Maharashtra on Wednesday recorded no new death due to the coronavirus infection. The state reported 544 new COVID-19 cases, including 38 caused by the Omicron variant, taking the overall tally of infections to 78,66,924, while the death toll remained unchanged at 1,43,706.
"It is for the first time since April 1, 2020, that the state has recorded zero fatalities," said Dr Pradeep Awate, the state surveillance officer who is in charge of monitoring epidemic-prone diseases. As per the official release, 37 Omicron cases were reported during the day from Pune and one from Aurangabad, which increased the count of infections due to the new variant to 4,771, of which 4,629 have already been discharged.
The release said 9,382 samples were sent for genome sequencing, and results of 8,480 have arrived while that of 902 are awaited. As many as 1,007 people were discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the recovery count to 77,13,575, leaving the state with 5,643 active cases.
It said Mumbai recorded 100 new cases while the addition to the tally in Pune city was 69. Of the eight administrative circles, Pune region recorded 194 cases, Nashik 99, Akola and Nagpur 28 each, Kolhapur 15, Latur eight and Aurangabad nine. It said 1,53,349 samples were examined in the last 24 hours, taking the overall number of coronavirus tests conducted in the state to 7,80,03,848. As many as 45,422 people are in home isolation and 660 in institutional quarantine.
With PTI Inputs
