Mumbai, Mar 27 (IANS): In the highest incidence of COVID-19 positive cases in the country so far, Maharashtra's count shot up by 31 in the past 24 hours to stand at 156 now, even as a worried government wrote to the army to be prepared for 'medical assistance' if required, officials said here on Friday.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced that the government has written to the army to render assistance for any medical emergency, if required.

In a related development, Mumbai's Saifee Hospital Director Vernon Desa said that a senior doctor was found Covid-19 positive during a CT Scan at the hospital and was to an isolation ward in Hinduja Hospital where he passed away.

"All containment and surveillance measures have been implemented to ensure the safety of our staff, patients and visitors. Saifee Hospital reiterates that it is fully operational," Desa said amid speculation that the hospital was isolated by the authorities.

The state health authorities, terming the case as "suspected", said the deceased was an 85-year old doctor suffering from severe diabetes and had a pacemaker in his heart.

Recently two of his close family members had travelled to the UK. Further details are being gathered, the officials said.

In one of the fastest overnight increase in the number of Covid-19 positive cases in the state, the figures mounted from 125 to 156, including 12 members of a single family in Sangli, besides new cases in Mumbai, Pune, Navi Mumbai, Palghar, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Gondia, etc.

In Mumbai, nine persons, including three women, tested positive including. A woman who had a travel history to the US reportedly infected three others. All the four, including a male, are admitted to Bhabha Hospital in Kurla suburb.

The other five males include one with travel history to the US, three to the UAE and one close contact, taking the total new cases to nine.

An infant has reportedly been infected in Navi Mumbai, details of which are awaited.

Earlier on Friday, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that so far 19 persons have fully recovered and have been discharged from hospitals in Mumbai, Pune and other places.

"There are many more cases on way to recovery, proving that the disease is curable. We have also tested over 4,200 persons. The strategy is three 'Ts' -- Tracing, Testing and Treatment of the patients," Tope said.

He said the state is facing a shortage of blood for the treatment of the patients so people should come forward and donate blood, but by maintaining the social distancing norms.

Tope pointed out that since all flights coming to Maharashtra and other parts of India, besides inter-state travel, is closed due to the nationwide lockdown, now the focus is on locally acquired infections.

"From the new COVID-19 suspects or cases, we are concentrating on those with social contacts like families, neighbours, relatives, friends, etc. This emphasises the need to maintain social distancing which people must strictly follow, even when they go out to buy essentials," Tope urged.

The state's death toll has risen to five, including two women, both 65, who passed away on March 24 and March 26, and three males who died earlier last week.