INDIA. MUMBAI: With the number of new COVID-19 cases on the rise, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Iqbal Singh Chahal asked civic officials to ramp up testing on a war footing to halt the disease on Wednesday’s spread.
In Maharashtra, 1081 new cases were reported on Wednesday. The number was significantly higher than the 782 cases reported on February 27. With this, the state’s active patient population increased to 5113. While 524 patients were recovered, no death was reported on Wednesday. With 77,36,275 patients recovered so far, the recovery rate remained at 98.07 percent, whereas the casualty rate was 1.87 percent in the state.
In Mumbai, the COVID-19 cases have been steadily increasing since the beginning of May. With 506 new cases reported on Tuesday, the number of daily new cases crossed the 500-mark for the first time after February 23, when 168 cases were reported. With this, the number of active cases reached 2526 in the metropolis.
Chahal asked officials to keep the staff of jumbo field hospitals. Nine COVID centers have been dismantled, while the nine Jumbo COVID-19 centers will remain operational until September in Mumbai. Till now the BMC has conducted 1,71,36,694 tests. Out of 24,472 beds, only 90 beds have been occupied at present.
According to Chahal, who spoke with BMC officials, the number of new cases reported daily in Mumbai has increased dramatically. With monsoon approaching, we will see a rapid increase in symptomatic patients.
The civic chief asked the BMC officials to tell private laboratories to be proactive and fully prepared. He also requested the Municipal of Assistant Commissioners (AMCs) to take daily reviews of the COVID-19 situation in their wards and intervene wherever required. He also asked all the AMCs to review the status of ward war rooms to ensure they are fully equipped with staff, medical teams, and ambulances and put private hospitals on alert.
Chahal also directed the officials to visit jumbo hospitals coming under their jurisdiction to ensure monsoon-ready with de-watering pumps, structural stability certification, fire safety mechanisms, medical and paramedic staff, and oxygen manufacturing plants and fully equipped with medicines. He also stated that the jumbo medical facility in the Malad area in North Mumbai should be prioritized if hospitalizations rise in the coming days. He also asked the civic officials to boost the inoculation drive in the 12-18 years category and persuade people to take booster doses of vaccine against COVID-19.
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