884 new cases bring Mumbai’s tally to 18K; BMC braces for surge by end of June

The city on Saturday recorded 884 new Covid-19 patients, taking the count to 18,555. Mumbai also recorded 41 deaths on Saturday, bringing the toll to 696. Of the 41 deaths, 14 deaths were reported between May 7 and May 12. Dharavi recorded 53 new cases on Saturday, pushing the tally to 1,198. The toll stayed at 53.

HT Image

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday said they had changed the testing protocol to ensure Covid testing is available for all symptomatic suspects. “Testing is available for persons with symptoms such as fever, cough, or breathing difficulty, close contacts of confirmed cases with symptoms, pregnant women 4 to 5 days before delivery coming from containment zones, patients on haemodialysis who are showing symptoms or are suspected cases of Covid-19”, said the BMC’s testing advisory.

High-risk or co-morbid close contacts having no symptoms may be tested as per the advice of healthcare worker once between five and 14 days. The BMC also said that no testing will be required for patients completing home isolation. No testing is needed at the time of discharge from the hospitals for mild and moderate cases as per revised guidelines, the testing advisory said.

Of the total deaths in Mumbai, 24 had co-morbidities; 26 were men and 15 were women; 2 deceased were below 40 years, 27 above 60 years and 12 between 40 and 60 years.

In line with the Maharashtra government’s deliberation on Friday, which stated that cases are likely to peak by the end of June, the BMC has begun ramping up its bed capacity at all Covid Care Centres category 1 (CCC1) for high-risk contacts, Dedicated Covid Health Centres (DCHC) for mild symptomatic patients, at Dedicated Covid Hospitals (DCH), ICU beds, and beds with oxygen points. Sanjeev Jaiswal, additional municipal commissioner and incharge of the BMC’s coordination with the state government, said, “Our preparations will now get over by May-end. These are being made keeping June’s cases in mind. If we have to be prepared for a possible surge of cases in June, preparations must be completed by May.”

The CCC2 facilities for asymptomatic and mild symptomatic patients were not being used to its capacity. While the BMC is going to retain some CCC2 facilities, they will be converted to DCHC facilities, with oxygen points. The BMC will add 10,000 additional beds to the DCHC facilities, at least 50% or more of which will have oxygen points, Jaiswal said. Some beds at these DCHCs will be converted into full-fledged hospital beds (DCH) at 30% of their scaled capacity.

While Mumbai will get an additional 3,000 ICU beds, 1,000 of the ICU beds will be part of the DCH beds created in the DCHC jumbo centres. Such centres are the NESCO exhibition grounds at Goregaon, NSCI dome at Worli, Mahalaxmi racecourse, CIDCO ground at Mulund and Metro ground at Dahisar.

Apart from that, dialysis for Covid patients will be made available in the DCH part of the DCHC facilities at these jumbo centres, where 10% beds will be reserved for patients who also need dialysis. At the NESCO exhibition grounds, the BMC will scale the bed capacity from existing 1,000 beds to 2,500 beds. Of these, 250 to 300 beds will be ICU beds. At the BKC grounds, the BMC will scale the capacity from the existing 100 beds to 200 beds, of which 150-odd will be ICU beds. At the CIDCO ground at Mulund, capacity will be scaled to 2,000 from the existing 100 beds with 150-200 ICU beds. At the Metro grounds at Dahisar, the capacity will be scaled to 1,500, but its design is still being prepared, with an ICU capacity of 150-200 beds.

At the racecourse, the bed capacity will be increased to 800 from the existing 300, with 120 ICU beds. NSCI Dome in Worli will get a 30-bedded ICU facility. CCC1 centres will have a scaled capacity of up to 1,00,000 beds by May-end. The BMC has begun readying gymkhanas, marriage halls, dormitories in schools and colleges. On Friday, it took over the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.