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(IANS)
Maharashtra has recorded its first COVID-19-related fatality in months, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) clarifying that while the death occurred in July, it has only now been included in the official records.
The deceased was a 75-year-old Mumbai resident who was suffering from liver carcinoma. Although the individual had been diagnosed with COVID-19, authorities have stated that the virus was not the primary cause of their death.
Meanwhile, Mumbai reported 10 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infection count to 11,64,108, while the latest death took the overall fatality figures to 19,776. This is the second instance in August that the city has reported COVID-19 cases in double digits; the previous occurrence happened on August 6.
Recovery rates continue to inspire confidence, with four more patients recovering from the illness, taking the total number of recoveries to 11,44,285. Currently, Mumbai has 47 active cases. A total of 292 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours, raising the cumulative test count to 1,89,17,951, according to the civic body’s bulletin.
Rise of a new COVID-19 variant?
Though there are indications of an increase in COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra due to the new Omicron sub-variant, EG.5.1, detected in some samples, health experts have emphasised that there is no cause for immediate concern. No significant surge has been noted since the detection of this sub-variant.
The state health department said that it would be premature to attribute the rise in cases to the new sub-variant. The situation will be carefully monitored over the coming week to reach a more conclusive understanding, as all respiratory infections typically show an upsurge from June to September.
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The above article has been published from a wire source with minimal modifications to the headline and text.