May ends with max Maha toll, daily deaths lowest since Apr 5

Mumbai: The number of Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra dropped by a third from April to May, but the number of deaths went up 87% in the same period. A similar picture emerged in Mumbai, where cases in May were a fourth of the April cases, but deaths increased by 17%.

- Malathy Iyer & Bhavika Jain

Due to tests almost halving in the state and Mumbai on Sunday, Maharashtra added 15,077 cases, the lowest since March 15 (15,051), and 184 fatalities. The toll was the lowest in 56 days since April 5 (155). This took the total caseload to 57.5 lakh cases and 95,344 deaths. In Mumbai, 666 cases were reported on Sunday, the lowest daily caseload since February 23 (643). Deaths too dropped below 30 (29).

The case tally and toll in Maharashtra were 17.8 lakh and 14,164 deaths, respectively, in April as compared to 11.4 lakh cases and 26,531 deaths in May. The state has added 6,207 previous deaths to the cumulative toll in May, making it the deadliest month so far since the outbreak of the pandemic. “Although the cases are on the decline in most parts of the state, deaths will continue to be high for the next few days,” said an official.