A sharp single-day surge of 13,659 new COVID-19 cases was reported in Maharashtra on March 10. The numbers, recorded in the period of preceding 24 hours, are the highest in 2021 so far.
In the corresponding period, 54 deaths were also reported and 9,913 infected patients were discharged, the state health department said.
The tally of active cases in Maharashtra reached 99,008, which is the highest among all states and union territories in India. Cumulatively, the state has recorded 22,52,057 cases since the onset of pandemic in March last year.
A total of 20,99,207 patients have recovered so far, whereas, the state's overall death tally stood at 52,610.
The per-day count in Maharashtra had decelerated to around 2,500-per day by late-January this year. However, a constant surge in infections have been reported since the past month.
The Mumbai division, which is the highest contributor to the per-day COVID-19 surge, recorded 2,933 new cases. The number account for the infections reported in the suburbs of Navi Mumbai, Kalyan, Ulhasnagar, Bhivandi, Mira Bhayandar, Palghar, Vasai Virar, Raigad and Panvel.
In Mumbai city alone, 1,539 infections and five deaths were reported.
In Nashik circle, 2,365 fresh cases were reported, and 2,882 new cases in Pune circle, which includes the districts of Pune, Satara and Solapur.
The Maharashtra government has authorised the local municipal bodies to take the call on imposition of lockdowns to curb the pace of transmission.
In Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced the tightening of norms on March 10. Any person found jumping home isolation would be sent to "compulsory institutional quarantine".
The civic body has also made it mandatory for housing societies to display the flat numbers of infected patients on notice boards, in case the building has reported more than five cases.
Over 90 percent of the new infections recorded in the past two months were reported in buildings and high-rises, the BMC said.
