6 wards account for 53% of Mumbai’s positive coronavirus cases
At areas such as Bandra (East), Chembur, Deonar and Ghatkopar, more than a dozen cases each have been detected, while two to 10 cases have been found at Borivli, Dahisar, Mulund and Kurla.
Even as the city witnessed its highest single-day tally of new confirmed coronavirus cases (81) with the total number of cases surging to 458 on Sunday, an analysis of the previously-tested 330 virus-infected patients has revealed that six administrative wards which cover Worli, Prabhadevi, Malabar Hill, Andheri, Byculla and Malad areas, account for the majority of the city’s positive cases.
As per the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) data, of the 330 positive cases, 175 (53%) have been detected from the areas mentioned above. At areas such as Bandra (East), Chembur, Deonar and Ghatkopar, more than a dozen cases each have been detected, while two to 10 cases have been found at Borivli, Dahisar, Mulund and Kurla.
The G South ward, which comprises of areas such as Worli koliwada and Prabhadevi, has recorded the highest number of cases (58) of the 330 positive cases, followed by the D ward (Malabar Hill, Grant Road and Chowpatty) with 31 confirmed patients. The third highest cases (25) have been recorded in the K West ward that covers areas such as Andheri (West), Irla, Juhu, Oshiwara and parts of Jogeshwari.
The B ward (Dongri and Princess Dock areas) which has a low population has the lowest number of positive cases.
According to area-wise cases, the maximum number (137) of patients has been recorded in the island city, followed by 118 confirmed cases in the western suburbs and 75 in the eastern suburbs. In the island city, central Mumbai has 90 confirmed patients, while 47 have been confirmed in south Mumbai.
Meanwhile on Sunday, the BMC reported eight deaths. Three of these deaths had taken places between March 31 and April 3 and were confirmed by private labs but were confirmed by the BMC on Sunday. Of the 81 new cases reported by the state health department in Mumbai on Sunday, 55 were confirmed by private labs between March 31 and April 2. However, according to the BMC, the city recorded 103 cases on Sunday.
At Dharavi, one more coronavirus case was detected on Sunday after a 21-year-old man residing on 60 Feet Road was tested positive. The total number of confirmed patients from Dharavi now stands at five.
Earlier this week, a Worli resident who worked as a sweeper in Dharavi was tested positive for the virus. The 21-year-old has no travel history, but works as a technician in a lab at Airoli. He had developed symptoms on March 29. The BMC has traced around 185 of his close contacts, including his five family members. According to the civic body, around 3,450 people across five containment zones in Dharavi have been home quarantined.
As Dharavi is a congested area and is Asia’s largest slum area, the civic body has set up a clinic at the containment zone in Baliga Nagar, where all the 2,500 residents, including 132 senior citizens and 32 residents with respiratory ailments as well as cough, cold and fever, will give their swab tests. BMC on Saturday had set up 10 clinics in the city for swab tests.
A confirmed case has also been detected at the densely-populated Lalbaug area on Sunday. According to BMC officials, the patient is a man in his 30s. He has been admitted to Kasturba Hospital and seven of his close contacts have been quarantined.
BMC issues SOP for officials working at containment zones
BMC on Sunday also released the standard operating procedures (SOP) drafted by municipal commissioner Praveen Pardeshi which consist of guidelines for officials working at more than 241 containment zones in the city.
Some of the guidelines include marking of the buffer zones near the containment zones if necessary and preparing a report of all establishments such as hotels, lodges and hospitals/ clinics in the containment zones. The SOP also directs BMC officials to prepare a list of people who had complained of flu, cough or fever in the past few days at the clinics and hospitals within the containment zones.
According to the SOP, officials from BMC also have to count the number of people within a containment zone every day to ensure that nobody goes missing. Further, the SOP has also directed institutional quarantine for those who are close contacts of positive patients, but administer self-quarantine measures as they reside in small houses.