Mumbai, June 1: The tally of COVID-19 cases crossed the 40,000-mark in Mumbai, the worst-affected city in India due to the virus outbreak. The day-by-day toll of infections accelerated by nearly 200 cases -- signalling a growth in the rate of transmission. The count of fatalities dropped in the corresponding period, as 12 less deaths due to coronavirus were recorded on Monday as compared to May 31.

"40 deaths and 1,413 new COVID19 positive cases reported in Mumbai today. The total number of positive cases in Mumbai is now 40,877," said a statement issued by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). Maharashtra's COVID-19 Count Crosses 70,000 With 2,361 New Cases in Past 24 Hours, State Death Toll 2,362.

On Sunday, the city had recorded 1,244 new cases and 52 deaths. The number of discharged patients in Mumbai stands at 16,985, whereas, the total number of active patients is 22,789. The recovery rate is lower as compared to the rest of Maharashtra.

Update by ANI

Apart from Mumbai being the worst-hit city in India due to coronavirus, the state of Maharashtra is also the most severely affected among all other provinces. The total count of cases crossed 70,000 on Monday, with over 60 percent of the cases being accounted from the state capital.

Mumbai's high-coronavirus infection rate is being linked to the dense population residing in the city. Known as the financial hub of India, Mumbai housed over two crore people - lakhs among them migrants who came to the city from different states to seek employment.

Despite the coronavirus crisis in Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra, the government headed by Uddhav Thackeray has launched the "Mission Begin Again" to re-start the grounded economy. Several relaxations have been announced in the lockdown, with all shops except those in malls being permitted to resume operation on odd-even basis from June 5.

Government and private sector offices are also permitted to resume operations with 15 percent and 10 percent strengths, respectively. Bollywood - which has brought a unique identity to the city - will also return to work as shooting has been permitted in the film city. The relaxations, warned Thackeray, would be revoked if the social distancing and safety norms are flouted.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 01, 2020 09:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).