Unlock Mumbai: City eligible for next level, BMC says no change in Covid curbs

Even as Mumbai now qualifies for – level two – further relaxation in lockdown restrictions, the city will continue with the existing Covid curbs for another week, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Even as Mumbai now qualifies for – level two – further relaxation in lockdown restrictions, the city will continue with the existing Covid curbs for another week, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

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Level two of unlock requires positivity rate to be below 5% and oxygen bed occupancy to be between 25% and 40%. The city’s positivity rate is 4.40% and oxygen bed occupancy 27.12%, according to the state government data. The city is currently under level three of unlock, which is imposed when the positivity rate is between 5% and 10% and oxygen bed occupancy more than 40%.

Unlike the current curbs on timings, under level two, shops and establishments can operate during regular timings; malls and cinema halls can operate at 50% capacity and restaurants can allow patrons to dine throughout business hours. Besides, trains can be accessible for women commuters, if the BMC allows. The BMC’s circular by commissioner IS Chahal, however, stated that considering the geographical challenges, population and rain forecast for the city, level three of curbs will stay until further orders.

Civic bodies in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, including Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Vasai-Virar, too, are cautious about lifting the curbs.

With Mumbai and MMR connected and high mobility of people from one area to another, any decision taken in one part could impact the other.

Even with the Covid-19 cases on a decline in the region and Mumbai, the authorities seem to be approaching cautiously. Surrounding municipal areas of the city in MMR too have improved on these parameters, except Kalyan-Dombivli, which remained in level three. Municipal corporation of Thane and Vasai-Virar upgraded to level two, while municipal areas of Navi Mumbai and Kalyan-Dombivli remained at last week’s levels of two and three, respectively.

According to BMC officials, though the Covid-19 cases have gone down, the city is still reporting around 700 cases daily.

A senior BMC official said, “We will continue with same restrictions for one week until the review next Friday. The plan is to keep Mumbai under level three for the entire month, however, the decision will be reviewed from time to time. We want to have an ideal situation where the city records around 200 cases daily for Mumbai to be brought to level two [restrictions].”

Level three restrictions in the city that are expected to continue include, all shops in the city can open; restaurants can serve customers till 4pm on weekdays; private offices can be reopened with 50% staff but only till 4pm; and people can go for jogging and to gymnasiums, albeit with certain conditions. While suburban trains will still not be open for general public, commuters can travel by BEST buses provided there are no standing passengers.

E-commerce firms will function regularly. Wedding ceremonies can be attended by up to 50 people. Although the state has allowed all women commuters to use local trains, last week the BMC restricted the services to medical staff and a few essential sectors.

Thane municipal commissioner Vipin Sharma said, “We are in level two as per the parameters and we will continue the curbs and relaxation that we had last week.”

Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar said, “We are still in level two. Our positivity rate is around 2% and [oxygen] bed occupancy is 25%-26% which is marginal. For the timebeing, there will be no change in the restrictions.” Vasai-Virar Municipal commissioner Gangatharan D said the city falls in level two. “The restrictions will be as allowed in the level two in accordance with the government order,” he said.

Following the devastating second Covid-19 wave that forced a lockdown in Maharashtra from April, the government’s five-level plan to ease curbs, based on weekly positivity rate and occupancy of oxygen beds in districts, came into effect from June 7. Every week, the weekly positivity rate and occupancy of oxygen beds is review for the districts for the restrictions to be lifted or enforced.

The state has classified 35 districts and 11 municipal corporations with more than one million population into five categories-- level one to five.

The degree of relaxation of restrictions has been decided as per the level of severity of Covid-19 in those districts. Level one has the least restrictions, while level five will have the most.

As per government order issued by Aseem Gupta, principal secretary, disaster management, relief and rehabilitation department on Friday, 12 districts have improved upon the two key parameters from last week.

Amravati, Bhandara, Parbhani, Solapur, Wardha, and Washim districts climbed from level three to level one. While Buldhana went from level four to level one. Hingoli and Nandurbar districts went from level two to level one, while Mumbai and Palghar improved on the parameters to go from level three to level two. Sangli district went from level four to level three on Friday.

Of the 35 districts, 19 fall under level one—which has the least restrictions-- as on Friday. These districts include, Ahmednagar, Amravati, Bhandara, Buldhana, Chandrapur, Dhule, Gondia, Hingoli, Jalgaon, Jalna, Latur, Nagpur, Nanded Nandurbar, Parbhani, Solapur, Wardha, Washim and Yavatmal.

Besides Mumbai, Palghar district has upgraded to level two this week.

Last week, 15 districts fell in level three, which had restrictions on shop timings, restaurants timings and occupancy, curfew after 5pm, among other restrictions. This week, eight districts including Akola, Aurangabad, Beed, Gadchiroli, Nashik, Osmanabad, Sangli and Thane fell in level three.

Districts including Kolhapur, Pune, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Satara, and Sindhudurg are in level four, which has stricter curbs including only essential shops allowed to be open till 4pm for all days, while restaurants can operate takeaway services. Government and private offices are allowed to operate at 25% capacity in these districts.

(Inputs by Mehul R Thakkar)