More than 10 ministers and 20 MLAs in Maharashtra have tested positive for coronavirus so far and the assembly session had to be cut short, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Saturday.

Pawar said that there has been a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases in Mumbai and Pune. Mumbai on Friday reported 5,631 new COVID-19 cases, almost 2,000 more than Thursday.

Maharashtra reported 8,067 fresh coronavirus positive cases fir Friday, which was 50 per cent higher than the number recorded on Thursday.

The number of daily coronavirus infections has nearly doubled in Mumbai and Maharashtra and Mumbai over the last 48 hours giving rise to serious concern over a looming third wave of the pandemic. 

Pawar said the state government is keeping track on the increasing number of patients. "If the number of patients continues to rise then there will be strict restrictions. To avoid strict restriction everybody should follow norms," he said.

Maharashtra has seen a sharp rise in new daily coronavirus cases in the last 12 days of 2021. The state government, in fresh guidelines issued on Thursday night, capped the attendance at gatherings in open or closed spaces at 50.

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