823 new COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, highest spike since December

With addition of 823 coronaviruscases, Mumbai on Friday recorded the highest single-day spikein infections since December, the Brihanmumbai MunicipalCorporation (BMC) said.

The tally of coronavirus cases in the country'sfinancial capital thus rose to 3,17,310, while the death tollreached 11,435 with five new fatalities.

The city's daily count of infections crossed the 700-mark in the last two days after it had recorded less than 500cases at the start of the week.

As many as 440 patients were discharged from hospitalsduring the day, taking the count of recoveries to 2,98,435.

With this, the city now has 6,577 active cases.

The average growth rate of COVID-19 cases in the cityhas increased to 0.18 per cent from 0.17 per cent on Thursday,while the average doubling rate has dropped to 393 days from417 days.

With 18,366 samples tested on Friday, the total oftests conducted so far has risen to 30,98,894.

The civic body conducted around 15,000 COVID-19tests every day earlier this month. With a spike in cases, ithas ramped up testing, an official said.

Meanwhile, 10,300 persons -- 3,000 healthcare workersand 7,300 frontline workers -- were administered COVID-19vaccine at 26 centers in the city on Friday, taking the totalof inoculated persons to 1,55,358.

Of 10,300 people, 789 were administered a second dose,taking the number of people given a second shot of the vaccineto 2,419.

On Thursday, the BMC had warned that criminal caseswould be registered against people found without masks inpublic, and strict action will be taken against functionhalls, gymnasiums and other establishments if they were foundto be not following safety protocol.

Additional marshals would be deployed on suburbantrains to penalize commuters who do not wear mask, it hadsaid.

Earlier, when coronavirus cases in the city as well asin Maharashtra began to decline steadily, the government hadrelaxed the restrictions on travel by local trains in Mumbai.

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