The count of positive patients continued to rise in the city as two new cases of COVID 19 were reported on Thursday taking the count to 18. Civic officials said two of the patients who tested positive admitted at Kasturba Hospital are in a sensitive condition and they have both been kept on ventilators.

The two new patients include a 22-year-old woman from the eastern suburbs who had recently travelled to London and landed in Mumbai on March 15. "Her symptoms started to show on March 18 which after which she tested positive on March 19," said Dr Daksha Shah, deputy executive health officer of the civic health department. The second patient is a 47-year-old woman from Ulhas Nagar who had travelled to Dubai and returned on March 4. She was admitted on March 17.

Civic officials said that two of the patients including a 59-year-old Philippines national is in critical condition. "He is on ventilator and his condition improves sometimes. The other patient is also in sensitive condition and also on ventilator. We are monitoring them and have given them the option of transferring to a private hospital if they like," said a senior civic hospital.