Mumbai: Panic gripped Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra once again as over 6000 fresh cases of Coronavirus were reported in the last 24 hours Friday.
According to the state Health Department, Maharashtra on Friday reported 6,112 new cases of coronavirus along with 44 more Covid-related deaths.
Meanwhile, as many as 2,159 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours after recovering from the infection.
With the latest spike in new Covid cases, Maharashtra crossed its 75-day record. The state had last reported more than 6,000 cases in a single day on October 30 of last year. Mumbai accounted for 823 of these new cases while Pune accounted for 1,015.
Sending alarm bells ringing, several Maharashtra leaders across political parties have been infected by Covid-19, including two who have tested positive for the second time, officials said here on Friday.
The infected dignitaries include Nationalist Congress Party State President and Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil, Health Minister Rajesh Tope, Food & Drugs Administration Minister Dr. Rajendra Shingne, Minister of State for Labour and Prahar Janshakti leader Bachchu Kadu.
Maharashtra Congress President Nana F. Patole has gone into isolation after two of his staffers tested positive and his test reports are awaited, said a party source.
Besides, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh is also in isolation at his Nagpur residence after testing positive earlier this week, and senior NCP leader Eknath Khadse is also infected.
Both Kadu and Khadse have tested positive for the second time, while the latter's daughter-in-law and BJP MP from Raver Raksha Khadse has also been infected.
Maharashtra Health Department meanehile clarified that there is no evidence of any foreign strain of Covid-19 virus in the state's Akola, Yavatmal and Amravati.
Discounting reports to the effect, the government said that there has been no change in the genetic makeup of the Covid-19 strains, similar to the mutant strains detected in the UK, Brazil and South Africa.
However, the government has not touched upon the possibility of detecting any other type of a fresh virus strain, genetically different from the currently known mutants globally, as apprehended in some quarters.
The Health Department said that four samples each from the three districts and 12 from Pune were tested at the BJ Medical College, Pune, in which no genetic mutations are found.
While further investigations are underway, the government has sent more samples from Akola, Amravati and Yavatmal to the NIV, and the NICS for genetic tests, the reports of which are expected next week.
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