Five more succumb to Covid-19, 159 test positive in Pune

PUNE: After staying over 200 for two days, Covid-19 positive cases in the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) came down to 159 on Monday, taking the total patient count to 4,177 so far.Besides, five more patients succumbed to the contagion on Saturday, pushing the casualty count in PMR to 211.Of the fresh cases, maximum 111 were recorded from Pune municipal limits. Among the casualties, four were recorded at private hospitals, while one at Sassoon General Hospital. The district health officials said about 1,232 swab samples were sent for testing on Monday. About 166 patients admitted to various hospitals were in critical conditions and 55 patients were declared cured and discharged on Monday, they said.. PMC health officials said over 50 patients were on ventilator support at various hospitals in the municipal limits. There were 1,599 active cases in the PMC area on Monday.Record rise in cases at PCMC limitsWith 23 new cases, PCMC areas recorded their highest 24-hour rise in patients on Monday. Eighteen of them came from a single area of Anandnagar slum in Chinchwad. “It is a very densely populated area. People are adhering to the social distance protocol,” said Santosh Patil, additional commissioner, PCMC.