1,328 COVID-19 deaths not added to Maha tally: Chief secy

Mumbai, Jun 16 () Maharashtra chief secretary Ajoy Mehta on Tuesday said as many as 1,328 deaths, that took place due to COVID-19, were not reported as fatalities caused by the viral infection in the state.

As many as 862 of these deaths occurred in the areas falling under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) limits, he said here, citing a fresh review of COVID-19 fatalities in the state carried out by authorities.

This has now been corrected and fatality figures have been updated accordingly, he said.

In an official statement in the evening, Mehta said, A fresh review of all the deaths reported in Maharashtra in last some months have found that additional 862 deaths in BMC areas and 466 in the rest of Maharashtra (total 1,328) have taken place, where the cause of death is COVID-19.

"In all those cases, the swab samples of these people have tested positive for COVID-19. All these deaths have been (now) reported as COVID-19 deaths.

Mehta, however, insisted that the state government is following prescribed guidelines while reporting coronavirus- related deaths.

The official reporting of COVID-19 deaths has been done as per the guidelines issued by the ICMR and the National Centre for Disease Control.

"Though a change has been seen in the (fatality) figure, there should not be any doubts on the states intension, the top bureaucrat asserted.

Out of the 466 freshly added deaths which were reported outside the BMC limits, 146 were from Thane, 85 from Pune, 34 from Jalgaon and 33 from Aurangabad, among other districts, the statement said. ND RSY RSY