Mumbai: Dharavi reports 29 new cases on Friday

In tow with the trend of a spurt in Covid-19 cases in Mumbai, Dharavi on Friday recorded 29 new cases

In tow with the trend of a spurt in Covid-19 cases in Mumbai, Dharavi on Friday recorded 29 new cases. On Thursday, it had recorded 30 new Covid-19 cases in a single day, for the first time since September. The total number of cases in Dharavi now stands at 4,357. However, there are 72 active cases in the slum-pocket in south Mumbai, and a total of 316 deaths have been reported so far.

A BMC healthcare worker collects swab samples of Dharavi residents. (Satish Bate/HT Photo)

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has now decided to start a vaccination centre in Dharavi from Monday, aiming to vaccinate 1,000 beneficiaries per day. It will be started at the Urban Health Centre inside the slum, with five booths, each with a capacity to vaccinate 200 people per day. It will cater to senior citizens and citizens above the age of 45 years who have co-morbidities.

Kiran Dighavkar, assistant commissioner of the G/North ward with jurisdiction over Dharavi said, “Around 1.75 lakh residents of Dharavi qualify as beneficiaries as per data collected by BMC during its My Family My Responsibility Drive. Booths will be equipped with walk-in registration facilities. Many residents of Dharavi are not aware of how to register for a vaccine shot, or if they qualify. So, the BMC will help them in all these aspects.”

Also, non-governmental organisations are being roped in to set up booths at various places in Dharavi to help with the registration process. BMC has asked private medical practitioners from the Mahim Dadar Medical Practitioners Association to help with medical certificates to those with comorbidities, above age 45 years.

Dighavkar said, “After the My Family My Responsibility survey, BMC has data of whom all have comorbidities, so we will be making their medical certificates.”

Commenting on the spurt in cases in the G/North ward, Dighavkar said, “Though the number of cases is rising in Dadar, Mahim and Dharavi due to proactive testing and screening, we are detecting cases at an early stage for treatment. As per data, 70% of the cases are asymptomatic. Casualties are very low.”

In January G/North ward recorded a total of eight deaths, while Dharavi reported zero deaths in January. In February G/North ward reported six deaths and Dharavi reported two. In March so far, the G/North ward has reported two deaths, of which, one is from Dharavi.