People crowd at Poisar weekly bazaar, amid rise COVID-19 cases, in Mumbai
Mumbai reported 16,420 new Covid cases toay, 40% higher than Tuesday. The positivity rate went up to 24.38% from 18.75%.
The sharp rise came after four days of decline in daily cases. Tuesday was the fourth day in a row when Mumbai witnessed a dip in daily COVID-19 infections.
As compared to Tuesday, the city witnessed a single-day growth of 4,773 cases. With this, the overall infection tally of the city rose to 956,287.
Of the 16,420 new cases, 83% patients are asymptomatic, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said in its daily release.
The coronavirus positivity rate in the financial capital jumped to 24.38% from 18.75% a day ago. The rate indicates the percentage of people who test positive for the virus of those who have been tested.
After the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020, Mumbai reported its highest-ever 20,971 cases on January 7.
According to the BMC, 67,339 coronavirus tests were carried out in the city in the last 24 hours, up from 62,097 on Tuesday.
Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said the rise in daily positive cases is due to revised national testing guidelines.
"Due to the recent change in the national COVID testing guidelines two days ago, where it has been directed that only symptomatic cases will be tested, it is likely to create a spike in positivity as most of the symptomatic cases would be almost confirmed positive cases," he said.