City sees lowest daily Covid cases in a month

The city on Monday reported 3,840 new Covid-19 cases, its lowest in one month, with a positivity rate of 13% and 28,328 tests

The city on Monday reported 3,840 new Covid-19 cases, its lowest in one month, with a positivity rate of 13% and 28,328 tests. Despite the drop, the city may not see relaxation of curbs, indicated Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials, maintaining they are preparing for the third wave.

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On March 23, the city had reported around 3,500 cases. Starting March 24, the city saw cases between 5,500 and around 11,000. The positivity rate which was around 10% in March went up to 26%. However, for one week, it is between 13% and 17%. Also, the testing has gone down in the past couple of days, from around 45,000 to 50,000 it went down to as low as 28,328 tests on Monday, but the positivity rate has remained stagnant.

Mumbai reported 71 deaths on Monday. The city’s case tally is 631,484 and toll is 12,861. The recovery rate is 86%, with 544,958 recoveries. The fatality rate in the city is 2.03% and there are 72,230 active cases in the city. Dharavi, the city’s former hot spot, reported 25 cases on Monday taking the total to 6,350. There are 970 active cases in Dharavi and 5,036 have been discharged.

Municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal in an interview with CNBC TV 18 on Monday said, “Restrictions are common for the entire state of Maharashtra. But still in many parts of the state, especially Vidarbha, cases are still increasing. Unless things become better in the state, the government can’t think of easing restrictions. This is because you cannot have an island of fewer restrictions...We have seven jumbo centres in the city that have around 9,000 beds, and now we are working to have four more jumbo centres. We are preparing for a third wave, if it comes in June, July or August.”

Chahal said second wave started on February 10, 2021, and the total number of cases reported in this is 3.09 lakh followed by deaths at 1,319. This, Chahal added, means mortality rate for second wave is 0.4%, which is lowest in the world. Chahal shared this message in his broadcast message hinting that BMC is on bed capacity augmentation mode despite cases going down. Industrialist Anand Mahindra tweeted: “More good news from Mumbai that people—around the world—should see. A report from BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal. Evidence that crisis management skills are alive & well. Thumbs up for the preparation for any 3rd wave.”

HT reported on Monday that Maharashtra Covid-19 task force member Dr Shashank Joshi said the flattening of the curve has started in the city.

Meanwhile, Reliance Industries in a statement on Monday said that it will manage 650 beds at NSCI Worli Jumbo Covid-19 centre. At Seven Hills Hospital in Marol, it will add 25 additional ICU beds. In a statement it said, “All together Reliance Foundation Hospital will manage 875 beds at NSCI Worli, Seven Hills and Trident Hotel in BKC.”