Focus on reducing COVID-19 fatality rate in Pune: Central team

With COVID-19 cases on rise in Maharashtra's Pune district, a Central team on Monday asked officials to focus on bringing down the fatality rate and increasing the number of swab tests, a senior bureaucrat said. Earlier in the day, the three-member team visited various containment zones in the city, hospitals and the Pune Municipal Corporation to review the situation in the district.

The number of cases in Pune district stands at 9,739 as on Monday with 429 deaths. District collector Naval Kishore Ram and PMC Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad apprised the Central officials about the ground situation.

A review meeting was held at the office of the divisional commissioner. "Government agencies are working in coordination to stop the spread of novel coronavirus in Pune district, but it is required to reduce the mortality rare among COVID-19 patients," the bureaucrat said, adding that the number of swab tests be increased in the district.

The team also directed local officials to ensure that other patients are not denied medical treatment amid the pandemic..