<span style="color: #222222;">Maharashtra's coronavirus tally went up by 9,601 new cases taking the state's total caseload to 4,31,719 in the last 24 hours.  322 patients lost their lives. Mumbai's daily case load seems to be decreasing and now Pune city and Thane city are having more cases than Mumbai.<br />''<br />''Meanwhile, Maharashtra has extended the statewide lockdown till August 31 in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.<br />''<br />''AIR correspondent reports, as for the daily caseload, Pune city, saw the highest number of Covid positive cases in the state with 1,506 new cases in the last 24 hours while the death toll rose by 23. At second number is Thane city which recorded 1,222 news cases and 41 deaths and 1,115 patients recovering in last 24 hours. Mumbai, on the other hand reported 1,047 new cases and 45 deaths.<br />''<br />''The state has recorded 9,601 new cases and 322 deaths, case fatality rate now at 3.55%. After extending the lockdown till August 31, the Uddhav Thackeray government, however, allowed malls and market places to reopen between 9 am and 7 pm from August 5.<br />''<br />''Theatres, food courts and restaurants will remain closed. Several district collectors have issued instructions that concessions granted to the non-containment zones and the state government's guidelines will be applicable to municipal council and Nagar Panchayat limits.<br />''<br />''Containment zones identified by civic authorities of various towns and cities will remain in lockdown till August 31.<br />''<br />''Meanwhile, at least 76 workers of a firm in Chakan area of Pune district have tested positive for coronavirus. </span><br />