Maharashtra to undergo lockdown? State reports 55,000 cases on first day of weekend lockdown

Mumbai: With state reeling under the fear of strict lockdown, Maharashtra's coronavirus total zoom past 33-lakh mark on the first weekend lockdown on Saturday.

Continuing in the 50,000 range, Maharashtra reported 55,411 new cases on Saturday, taking Maharashtra's overall total 33,43,951 on Saturday. The state's deaths increased slightly, from 301 a day earlier to 309 on Saturday, taking Maharashtra's overall death tally to 57,638, the highest in India.

Adding 9,330 cases - up from 9,202 a day earlier - the Mumbai tally shot up from 5,01,182 to 5,10,512 till date. With 28 fatalities, the total deaths here now stands at 11,944.

The state's recovery rate improved from 81.96 per cent on Friday to 82.18 per cent on Saturday, while the death rate worsened from 1.74 per cent a day earlier to 1.72 per cent.

Meanwhile, the number of people sent to home isolation shot above 3 million - from 26,95,065 on Friday to 30,41,080 now.

On Saturday, after an all-party review meeting, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray cautioned that "there is no alternative to a complete lockdown" and said that a decision on this would be announced in a day or so.

Along with the CM, the meeting was attended by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, Health Minister Rajesh Tope, Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat, Congress leader Ashok Chavan, Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole, Urban development Minister Eknath Shinde, Leader of Opposition Assembly Devendra Fadnavis, LoP Legislative Council Pravin Darekar, Maharashtra BJP President Chandrakant Patil, Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte, Health Secretary Pradeep Vyas, among others.

According to sources, the health department officials proposed a 15 day-lockdown in the meeting. The exact duration is likely to be declares on Sunday.

The COVID-19 situation overall continued to remain grim as a massive vaccine shortage also loomed with many vaccination centres in the city and state shutting down vaccinations temporarily.