Mumbai's daily Covid-19 count once again spikes with 16,420 new cases

Mumbai reported 16,420 new coronavirus positive cases on Wednesday, around 41 per cent more than a day before, while the fatality count grew by seven, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

As compared to Tuesday, the city witnessed a single-day growth of 4,773 cases.

With this, the overall infection tally of the city rose to 956,287 and death toll to 16,420, it said.

After witnessing a drop in the daily COVID-19 cases for the last four days, the financial capital of the country has witnessed a rise in cases by 40.98 per cent, the BMC said in its bulletin.

Along with the increase in the daily cases, the COVID-19 positivity rate also surged to 24.38 per cent from 18.75 per cent on Tuesday.

Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said the rise in daily positive cases is due to revised national testing guidelines.

"Due to the recent change in the national COVID testing guidelines two days ago, where it has been directed that only symptomatic cases will be tested, it is likely to create a spike in positivity as most of the symptomatic cases would be almost confirmed positive cases," he said.