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Rise in Covid-19 cases due to mass screening, says NMMC chief
After a drop in new cases in the past two days, Navi Mumbai again witnessed a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases reported on Wednesday with 128 new cases. The
After a drop in new cases in the past two days, Navi Mumbai again witnessed a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases reported on Wednesday with 128 new cases. The city now has 4,189 total cases. Five deaths were also reported on Wednesday, taking toll to 129. 102 patients were also discharged.
Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) commissioner Annasaheb Misal claimed the increase is due to the mass screening camps held across the city to identify positive cases, and said there is no need to panic.
Misal said, “The rise in the cases is due to the relaxation of lockdown norms and also the mass screening camps held by NMMC. So far, 30,276 people have been screened. There is no need to panic as these camps are helping to curb the spread of the disease by identifying the patients early.”
He further added, “Those with mild symptoms or asymptomatic people do not go for tests, which could lead to such people passing on the virus to others. We have identified many of them through our camps that we are holding especially in slum areas, lower income group areas and densely populated areas.”
Assuring that the civic body is geared up to battle Covid, he said, “We have arranged 7,000 beds in the city for Covid positive patients. Hence, there is no question of non-availability of beds. Medicines and other consumables, too, are in adequate supply. We are also recruiting additional medical manpower through walk-in-interviews.”
“The new 1,200-bed Covid care centre plus Covid health centre at Vashi Exhibition Centre is equipped with 500 beds with oxygen facility. There are also ventilators, dialysis and x-ray facility for Covid patients. A 25 to 30-bed ICU facility is being set up and we are expecting 20 ventilators from the state government,” Misal said.
On the issue of testing, the civic chief said, “With the help of CSR, we are getting 19,000 tests for free. A testing lab is also being set up at Vashi NMMC Hospital while we have already got a machine from the government which is helping us test 25 people each day. There are adequate facilities for non-Covid patients too at our Nerul, Airoli, and Turbhe hospitals which are being upgraded with medicine and surgical departments.”
An official from NMMC said, “Of the 128 new cases, 27 are from Kopar Khairne, 22 from Turbhe and 17 are from Vashi. Of the new positive patients, 15 are children with the youngest being a 2-year-old girl in Juhugaon and another 2-year-old boy from Vashigaon.”
