Maharashtra: Mahabaleshwar gets 10 Covid-19 cases as residents return

KOLHAPUR: Mahabaleshwar, which had initiated steps to control the spread of coronavirus even before the national lockdown was announced, has seen 10 Covid-19 cases in the past few days. The popular hill station has had just one death due to the infection so far. Local authorities attribute the new cases to people from Mahabaleshwar, who are employed in Mumbai, returning to the native villages.

They have returned either after having lost their jobs or because of fear of the alarming coronavirus spread in Mumbai.

Residents return from Mum, hill city gets 10 cases

According to official figures, as many as 6,588 people have come to Mahabaleshwar in the last one month. The hill station presently has 11 hospitalised Covid-19 patients.

Officials from Mahabaleshwar confirmed that most of the positive cases were people who had a travel history to Mumbai. The lone casualty due to the infection was a woman who had also come from Mumbai. She was suffering from multiple health problems.

Local residents complain that most of those coming to Mahabaleshwar have not completed legal formalities. On Sunday night, a group of 20 people coming to Mahabaleshwar from Mumbai by truck were made to return at Poladpur in Raigad district. Wai presently has 22 Covid-19 cases. Datta Chavan, a local resident, said Wai started recording cases after the situation in Mumbai worsened. “We have asked our family members and relatives to stay back in Mumbai as the citizens of Wai are not in a position to take care of them.”

The local administration says 8,985 people have come to Wai in the past few days. Most of them are from Mumbai. On Wednesday, Satara district recorded a single-day high of 52 cases till late in the evening. Of the three deaths reported in the district on the day, two had a travel history to Mumbai.