Third COVID-19 wave in Mumbai? Cases currently doubling faster than first, second waves

Out of the 2,172 fresh coronavirus infections in Maharashtra on Tuesday, Mumbai recorded 1,377 cases, a steep rise of 70 per cent from a day ago.

File Photo (ANI)

New Delhi: Maharashtra, the worst COVID-19 affected state in India, reported 2,172 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday (December 28, 2021), up by 50 per cent from 1,426 infections recorded a day before. 

The state also recorded 22 new fatalities, which took its death toll to 1,41,476. 

Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally has now risen to 66,61,486, of which, 11,492 are active cases. 

Out of the 2,172 fresh infections, Mumbai recorded 1,377 cases, a steep rise of 70 per cent from a day ago. 

Notably, India's financial capital is now recording cases faster than the first and second waves of COVID-19.

According to the official figures, during the first wave, Mumbai took 12 days to see 1,367 daily cases from 706, while during the second wave, the city had seen a rise of 1,325 single-day cases from 683 in 20 days. 

However, in what is being viewed as the possible third wave of COVID-19, fueled by the new Omicron variant, Mumbai has seen 1,377 daily fresh infections from 683 in just four days.

#CoronavirusUpdates
28th December, 6:00pm#NaToCorona pic.twitter.com/eHTEI5q8Lx

— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) December 28, 2021

#CoronavirusUpdates
27th December, 6:00pm#NaToCorona pic.twitter.com/E79AlFKJRv

— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) December 27, 2021

#CoronavirusUpdates
26th December, 6:00pm#NaToCorona pic.twitter.com/zkEzsBdG8u

— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) December 26, 2021

#CoronavirusUpdates
25th December, 6:00pm#NaToCorona pic.twitter.com/i2LZDfQmCf

— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) December 25, 2021

#CoronavirusUpdates
24th December, 6:00pm#NaToCorona pic.twitter.com/4wODSfL65b

— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) December 24, 2021

The growth rate of cases between December 21 and 27 in the city was recorded at 0.07 per cent. The sudden spike has now taken the coronavirus tally in the metropolis to 7,73,298, while the death toll has increased to 16,374.

No new case of Omicron reported in Maharashtra 

The silver lining is that Maharashtra did not record any fresh case of the new coronavirus variant in the last 24 hours, while 91 of the patients previously infected by the strain have recovered. 

The state has so far reported 167 cases of Omicron, of which, Mumbai has reported the highest at 84, followed by Pimpri- Chinchwad (19), Pune rural (17), Pune and Thane municipal corporations (seven each).

The Kalyan-Dombivali municipal corporation (in Thane district), Aurangabad and Nanded have recorded two cases each of the new variant. Satara, Osmanabad and Panvel municipal corporation have recorded five infections each. Buldhana, Latur, Ahmednagar, Akola, Vasai-Virar, Navi Mumbai, Mira-Bhayander, Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporations and Palghar district have seen one case each.

(With agency inputs)