Covid-19: 14,474 home-quarantined in city so far

From the first week of March to Monday evening, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has home-quarantined 14,474 people in the city. Of them, 6,548 people

From the first week of March to Monday evening, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has home-quarantined 14,474 people in the city. Of them, 6,548 people have completed the 14-day home quarantine period.

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According to the data accessed by HT, till Monday evening, five of the 24 wards in the city account for 46% of the home-quarantined. “Earlier, only people who were in close contact with the infected or suspected patients were home-quarantined, now it has been extended to all inhabitants of containment zones, which is why the number has gone up,” said a health officer from the BMC. Dr Daksha Shah, deputy health officer, BMC, said, “In several wards, the number of institutional-quarantined is more than home-quarantined, like in case of Dharavi. We have shifted many high-risk people to vacant lodges and places for their safety. Fourteen days of home quarantine is also essential for patients who turned negative after they get discharged from hospitals. This also reflects in the data.”

The K/E ward, which covers areas Andheri East, Vile Parle East and city airports, tops the list with 2,330 people. This ward has reported 26 Covid-19 cases. It is followed by P/N ward (east of Kurar village, west of Manori village, south of Govind nagar road, Chincholi bunder) with 1,927 people in home quarantine and 24 cases. Occupying the third position is the G/S ward that covers Worli, Tardeo and Dadar, with 1,659 people under home quarantine. This ward has recorded the highest number of Covid-19 positive cases with 68 patients. Following it is the M/E ward which shares borders with Deonar, Chembur and Govandi with 964 people home quarantined and has seen 16 positive cases. This is followed by the R/N ward that comprises Dahisar and Borivali, which has 950 people quarantined. So far, six cases have been reported at the ward. The number of positive cases is till Sunday evening.

Wards A, B and C have the lowest number of quarantined people 213, 78 and 111, respectively. The number of the home-quarantined is not directly proportional to the number of infected people in wards. For example, E ward, which covers Byculla and parts of Reay Road, has the second highest number of Covid-19 cases with 44 patients. But according to the data shared by BMC, the number of home-quarantined people in the ward is only 209. Dr Shah said, “It doesn’t necessarily mean that the number of quarantined people will be equivalent to cases.”

Several home-quarantined family members of Covid-19 patients are complaining of harassment. A 56-year-old man, a resident of Chembur who got admitted at Seven Hills Hospital on March 31 after being diagnosed with Covid-19, got discharged on Sunday. Talking to HT, his home-quarantined 24-year-old son, said, “From the time my society members got to know that my parents are coronavirus positive, they have been ignoring me and treating me like a criminal. If I greet them, they don’t even respond. The society members take a U-turn even if I stand 100m away from them.”

He also complained that although the BMC was supposed to provide them with food, he didn’t get any help from the officers. “I also had the responsibility of my 72-year-old grandmother. So, I got groceries for 10 days from my uncle. Thankfully, I didn’t depend on the BMC or else we would have had to starve,” he added.