Maha records 134 new cases, Dharavi tally touches 43

Maharashtra recorded 134 new Covid-19 positive cases with Mumbai alone reporting 113 infectees, taking the state total to 1,895 cases, according to preliminary figures here on Sunday.

Central Mumbai's Dharavi - Asia's biggest slum, continued to be a problem area with 15 new cases with the total touching 43.

There have been at least 4 deaths in Dharavi, as the police, civic, and health authorities worked overtime to implement lockdown in the 2.25 sq kms area housing nearly 800,000 people.

Among the 15 new cases in this slum pocket are 9 contacts of a victim who succumbed to Covid-19 earlier and now the authorities have taken up a full-scale investigation of the high risk category.

The adjacent Dadar area, a mix of middle and upper-middle class with a few posh pockets, also notched 13 new cases since last night, causing fresh concerns.

Besides 113 in Mumbai, fresh cases have been detected in Thane (12), Pune (5), Palghar (2), Raigad and Amravati (one each), accounting for 134 and the progressive state total of 1895.

Covid-19 has so far claimed 127 victims, with the maximum in Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Palghar, even as Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray extended the lockdown to April 30, with hints of more if people do not cooperate by remaining indoors, avoid crowding and maintain social distancing.