<p>On a day when Maharashtra marked the two months of COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the western Indian state's tally surpassed 20,000 and reported a death toll of 48 on Saturday. </p>.<p>This sounded alarm bells as two persons have died in Maharashtra every hour and one in the financial capital of Mumbai - in the last 24 hours.</p>.<p>The state's tally of positive cases now stands at 20,228 and 779 deaths. As far as Mumbai is concerned, the progressive total is 12,864 while with addition of 27 deaths, the toll has shot up to 489.</p>.<p>The silver lining is that 330 patients were discharged on Saturday taking the figure to 3,800 of those who have been recovered and sent back home. The first COVID-19 case was detected on March 9 when a Pune-based couple, who during the last week of February visited Dubai, tested positive. </p>.<p>The first death was reported in Mumbai, on May 17, when a 64-year-old person, with a travel history to Dubai, passed away. The Mumbai-Pune belt comprising two huge metropolitan areas has over 18,000 cases and 650 plus deaths. </p>.<p>The financial capital of Mumbai has emerged as the epicentre of Covid-pandemic in India. India's first case in Kerala was reported in Kerala on January 30 - but the first case in Maharashtra was reported only 38 days later - and since then the cases have jumped in this western Indian state - reaching to rather alarming levels.</p>.<p>The Maharashtra government is preparing for the worst and this is indicative of the fact that several makeshift hospitals, isolation and quarantine facilities are coming up. Two Wuhan-type hospitals are coming up, one at the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai and another in Thane. </p>.<p>"We have to change our lifestyles and the way we work and entertain. Physical distancing has become the order of the day," Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has been repeatedly saying in his webcast messages.</p>.<p>Change in outlook and perception would be the order of the day now. "People will have to follow physical distancing, use masks, carry water, sanitisers and soap with them," said Dr Suhas Pingle, chairman, action committee, Indian Medical Association, Maharashtra State. </p>.<p>Maharashtra's health minister Rajesh Tope says that in a fortnight's time, the cases would decline. "In 15 to 20 days, we expect the cases to go down. We have increased surveillance in congested areas," he said, adding that the spread in places like Dharavi and Worli is a concern and being tackled.</p>
<p>On a day when Maharashtra marked the two months of COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the western Indian state's tally surpassed 20,000 and reported a death toll of 48 on Saturday. </p>.<p>This sounded alarm bells as two persons have died in Maharashtra every hour and one in the financial capital of Mumbai - in the last 24 hours.</p>.<p>The state's tally of positive cases now stands at 20,228 and 779 deaths. As far as Mumbai is concerned, the progressive total is 12,864 while with addition of 27 deaths, the toll has shot up to 489.</p>.<p>The silver lining is that 330 patients were discharged on Saturday taking the figure to 3,800 of those who have been recovered and sent back home. The first COVID-19 case was detected on March 9 when a Pune-based couple, who during the last week of February visited Dubai, tested positive. </p>.<p>The first death was reported in Mumbai, on May 17, when a 64-year-old person, with a travel history to Dubai, passed away. The Mumbai-Pune belt comprising two huge metropolitan areas has over 18,000 cases and 650 plus deaths. </p>.<p>The financial capital of Mumbai has emerged as the epicentre of Covid-pandemic in India. India's first case in Kerala was reported in Kerala on January 30 - but the first case in Maharashtra was reported only 38 days later - and since then the cases have jumped in this western Indian state - reaching to rather alarming levels.</p>.<p>The Maharashtra government is preparing for the worst and this is indicative of the fact that several makeshift hospitals, isolation and quarantine facilities are coming up. Two Wuhan-type hospitals are coming up, one at the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai and another in Thane. </p>.<p>"We have to change our lifestyles and the way we work and entertain. Physical distancing has become the order of the day," Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has been repeatedly saying in his webcast messages.</p>.<p>Change in outlook and perception would be the order of the day now. "People will have to follow physical distancing, use masks, carry water, sanitisers and soap with them," said Dr Suhas Pingle, chairman, action committee, Indian Medical Association, Maharashtra State. </p>.<p>Maharashtra's health minister Rajesh Tope says that in a fortnight's time, the cases would decline. "In 15 to 20 days, we expect the cases to go down. We have increased surveillance in congested areas," he said, adding that the spread in places like Dharavi and Worli is a concern and being tackled.</p>
