28 more COVID-19 cases in Maha, count 153; suspected patient

With 28 persons testing positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra, 15 of them in Sangli alone, the number of COVID-19 patients in the state rose to 153 on Friday, a health department statement said.

An 85-year-old doctor, who was suspected to have contracted coronavirus, died at a private hospital in Mumbai.

While the statement of the hospital said his test reports from a privagte lab confirmed that he had coronavirus infection, the health department only said that report was awaited.

Two of his relatives had recently arrived from the UK, the statement added. The deceased was diabetic and had a pacemaker as well, it added.

On the other hand, so far 24 coronavirus patients have been discharged after full recovery in the state.

As many as 250 persons -- suspected or confirmed to have contracted the infection -- were hospitalized across the state on Friday.

The new patients in the state included 15 persons in Islampur in Sangli western Maharashtra's Sangli district. They had come in contact with a family which had returned from Saudi Arabia and some members of which had tested positive for the coronavirus.

In Nagpur, four persons who had come in contact with a patient who was diagnosed with COVID-19 tested positive.

Two persons tested positive each in Mumbai and Thane and one each in Palghar, Kolhapur, Gondia and Pune. Another patient who tested positive is from Gujarat, the health department said.

Of the total 153 patients, Mumbai has 51, Pimpri Chinchwad 13, Pune 18, Sangli 24, Navi Mumbai and Kalyan- Dombivali six each, Nagpur nine, Thane five, Yavatmal four, Ahmednagar three, Satara and Panvel two each, Ulhasnagar, Aurangabad, Ratnagiri, Vasai-Virar, Pune rural, Sindhudurg, Palghar, Kolhapur, Gondia one each and one person from Gujarat, the statement said.

Five coronavirus patients have died so far in the state.