46% increase in Mumbai’s Covid count in a day; TPR jumps to 8.4%
The test positivity rate (TPR) also took a jump from 6% on Tuesday to 8.4% on Wednesday, indicating a steady rise in infections
Mumbai The city on Wednesday reported 739 fresh Covid infections and zero deaths, the highest reported in a day in four months since February 4, when Mumbai had reported 846 cases. This indicates a 46% increase in cases as compared to Tuesday, when the city had reported 506 cases.

The test positivity rate (TPR) also took a jump from 6% on Tuesday to 8.4% on Wednesday, indicating a steady rise in infections. The positivity rate was around 3% a week ago. In the 24 hours until Wednesday, 8,792 Covid tests were conducted in Mumbai.
The state also crossed the 1,000-mark and reported 1,081 cases and zero deaths, with a positivity rate of 4.25%. On Tuesday, the TPR stood at 3.16% in Maharashtra.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is expecting a further spike and an increase of symptomatic patients. Directing the civic administration to increase testing on ‘war footing’, municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Tuesday said, “The daily cases have tremendously increased in Mumbai. Now, with the monsoon around the corner, we will see a rapid rise in symptomatic cases.”
State health minister Rajesh Tope said that vaccination will be given priority. “We are seeing a surge in Mumbai, Thane and Pune. However, there are hardly any hospitalisations. This is because we have been successful in our vaccination programme,” said Tope. He added that the inoculation drives will be further speeded further.
“Though the booster or precautionary dose is not mandatory, we are asking people to take it. Our main focus will be those who are yet to take the second or first dose. We are undertaking an awareness drive for these people,” said Tope.
Of the 739 cases reported on Wednesday, 710 or 96% were asymptomatic, 29 needed hospitalisations, of which five needed oxygen beds. Of the 24,473 Covid beds in Mumbai, 0.42% are currently occupied. The number of active cases has jumped to 4,032 across the state, with Mumbai topping the list with 2,970 patients, followed by Thane and Pune at 452 and 357 respectively.
This has sparked fresh fears of lockdown and restrictions as the state government has warned of curbs if the state continues to log 1,000 cases daily. Recently, state minister Aslam Shaikh had warned of another lockdown if cases continue to surge.
Dr Ishwar Gilada, secretary-general, Organised Medicine Academic Guild, said that there was nothing to worry about. “The infected patients have mild symptoms and there are hardly any hospitalisation or deaths,” said Dr Gilada. He added that vaccination should be ramped up and even precautionary doses should be encouraged.
Meanwhile, Chahal gave the civic administration an eight-point directive on Tuesday, when Mumbai’s positivity rate spiked to over 6%. He directed assistant commissioners of all 24 wards to ‘push hard’ for vaccination in the 12-18 category and booster doses, keep jumbo centres adequately staffed and on high alert, directed private hospitals to stay alert, to review status of ward war rooms to ensure they are fully equipped with staff, medical teams and ambulances, take daily reviews of the Covid situation in their respective wards and make ‘strong interventions’ as and when required.
The assistant commissioners have also been directed to visit jumbo hospitals in their jurisdictions to ensure they are monsoon-ready with de-watering pumps, structural stability certification, fire safety mechanisms, housekeeping, catering, paramedical and medical staff, oxygen manufacturing plants and adequate supply of medicines.
The total number of Covid patients right from the outbreak last year has now reached 78,88,167.
There were 25,416 tests done on Wednesday while the number of recoveries were 524.
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