Out of 1,346 COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, more than half from Mumbai : Rajesh Tope

Out of the total 1,346 cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra, more than half are from Mumbai, said state Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday.

"There are 1346 cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra and more than half of these are from Mumbai only. We are planning to deploy the State Reserve Police Force in congested areas for effective enforcement of the lockdown," Tope said.

According to the State Health Department, Mumbai has the highest 876 number of cases and is followed by Pune with 181 cases.

Mumbai and Pune have also recorded 54, and 24 deaths respectively due to the disease.

The Health Minister further said that the administration was planning to accommodate people from densely populated areas of Mumbai in schools to ensure social distancing is followed.

"People are facing difficulty in staying home in densely populated areas of Mumbai because as many as 15 people live in a 10x10 feet room. So, we are planning to accommodate them in schools in order to ensure social distancing," Tope said.

"Cleaning community toilets in densely populated areas in Mumbai is a challenge as around 200 people use a toilet seat throughout the day. So, we are deploying fire brigade to sanitize such community toilets every hour with speed jet pumps," he added.