<span style="color: #222222;">Maharashtra recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in a day, with as many as 553 persons testing Corona virus positive in last 24 hours, taking the state tally of such cases to 4,204.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">A report from State Health Department said twelve COVID-19 patients died taking the death toll in state to 223. The mortality rate has been recorded at 5.30 per cent. The report said, so far 507 COVID-19 patients have been cured and discharged.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">AIR correspondent reports that in light of surge in the number of COVID-19 cases, Pune city, Thane district and Pimpri-Chinchvad were declared 'containment zones' late last night, thus imposing further restrictions on people's movement to curb the spread of Corona virus.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">All the restrictions in place under the ongoing lockdown will remain in force without any change till further notice. In all, 24 people have reportedly run away from a quarantine facility at Palghar near Thane after 187 high-risk contacts of two COVID-19 positive doctors at a District Hospital were put under quarantine.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">These include nine contract workers, 10 relatives of the doctors and five suspected patients. They did not have quarantine stamps on their hands.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">On a positive note, farmers were making a bee line in front of various banks in state to withdraw the amount received in their accounts under Pradhan Mantri Sanman Yojana direct benefit scheme.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The local administrations and leaders  made arrangement of drinking water for these farmers at many places.</span><br />