Mumbai, April 06: Mumbai recorded a fresh COVID-19 related death after 78 days with the active cases in the city rising to 1,244. A 69-year-old man with comorbidities hypertension and hypothyroidism died of Covid infection, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. The man was a resident of Chembur.

The Chembur man died within 24 hours of being hospitalised. BMC executive health officer Dr Mangala Gomare said he had a long history of hypertension and heart disease. Earlier, on January 17, a 68-year-old male with kidney failure had succumbed to the coronavirus infection. Around 1.5 lakh people have died in Mumbai since the pandemic began in March 2020, reported TOI.

COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in Maharashtra with nearly 30 patients succumbing to the infection in the last 36 days. The number of active cases in Mumbai has climbed to 1,244. Eighty patients are in hospital with 50% on oxygen support. COVID-19 Surge in Himachal Pradesh: CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Urges People To Follow Protocols and Wear Masks at Crowded Places.

Dr Gomare said that the BMC is following guidelines issued by the Centre and state. The RTPCR positive samples are being sent for genome sequencing and they are also contact tracing positive patients. COVID-19 Infection Accelerates Dementia Progression in Patients Already Suffering From Neurodegenerative Condition: Study.

While Satara district administration has made masking compulsory, Dr Gomare said they advice citizens to wear mask in crowded, poorly-ventilated places and in medical institutions.

The BMC will try to increase the number of tests, and more than 1,800 were conducted on Tuesday. Additional municipal commissioner Dr Sanjeev Kumar said that the number of daily tests will go up if needed. During the third wave in January 2022, around 70,000 tests were run in one day.

Earlier on Tuesday, Maharashtra Health Minister Tanaji Sawant said the state would be conducting a mock drill on 13-14th April after a surge in Covid cases in the state. The mock drill comes after suggestions by the central government. Sawant had said he has talked to all the Covid hospitals and that no patient is on ventilator or oxygen support in Maharashtra.

The Maharashtra government has asked people not to panic but remain vigilant and take precautions.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 06, 2023 10:12 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).