Maha's Covid-19 curve not flattening despite drop in numbers, cautions Tope

Maharashtra Health minister Rajesh Tope on Wednesday cautioned that the coronavirus curve in the state is not flattening despite a dip in the number of daily COVID-19 cases in the last couple of days.

He said there is a silver lining that out of the 2.25 lakh active cases, only 14 per cent are under hospitalisation.

Tope said he doesn't expect the situation to stablise by January end or by early February, and urged those who have not undergone vaccination to take jabs, besides masking-up by all.

Vaccination and restrictions are key to arrest the spread of the infection, he stressed.

Tope also pointed out that the vaccination rate needs to be ramped up.

He said he has asked for 50 lakh doses of Covisheild and 40 lakh does of Covaxin during a meeting with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

"The cases have seen a decline in the last two days, but this does not mean that the curve is flattening. There are 46,000 cases today. So there is no flattening of the curve," Tope told reporters.

The positivity rate of the state stands at 21.04 per cent and Mumbai's positivity rate is 27 per cent, he said, adding that of the 2.25 lakh active cases, only 0.32 per cent - less than a per cent - require ventilator.

On the supply of medical oxygen, he said the current demand is around 400 metric tonnes. Of this, 250 tonnes is for non-COVID patients and the rest for coronavirus patients.

He said that if the oxygen demand exceeds 800 metric tonnes, then lockdown will be imposed in the state.

On legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who has been admitted at the Breach Candy Hospital after testing positive for coronavirus, Tope said the doctors have been instructed to share the real time information on the Bharat Ratna recipient's health.