Mumbai’s Covid-19 count rises by 184

On Saturday, the city recorded 184 new Covid-19 positive coronavirus disease (Covid-19)cases and five deaths due to the infection. This has taken the total number

On Saturday, the city recorded 184 new Covid-19 positive coronavirus disease (Covid-19)cases and five deaths due to the infection. This has taken the total number of cases in Mumbai to 2,268, and total deaths to 126, according to the state health department.

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According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC), as of Friday, 54% of cases in the city — 1,158 of 2,120 Covid-19 positive cases — have been discovered due to contact tracing measures, screening in containment zones, and through fever clinics. Until Thursday, 115 such fever clinics were conducted at which 4,453 persons were screened and 1,761 were tested.

Contrary to the state health department’s figures, as per data from the BMC, Mumbai recorded 87 new cases on Saturday, with the city’s total count rising to 2,509. A press note issued by civic body has attributed the total figure to 302 patients who tested positive for Sars-Cov-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, at three private laboratories in the city between April 12 and 15.

The BMC stated that 42 patients have recovered from Covid-19 and were discharged on Saturday, taking the total number of patients who recovered to 281.

Dharavi, the slum pocket in the island city, saw a spike in infections on Saturday with 17 new cases and one death. The 80-year-old woman from Dharavi had died on Friday at Sion Hospital but it was only confirmed on Saturday that she was Covid-19 positive.

Two Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel posted in Western Railway (WR) tested positive on Saturday evening. One of the RPF personnel was deputed at Mumbai Central railway station and helped distribute food and meals to people outside the station. The second RPF personnel was posted at the WR’s Jagjivan Ram Hospital, which has been declared a dedicated Covid-19 treatment centre.

As of Friday, the civic body has spent a total of ₹80 crore from its contingency fund on Covid-19 related preparedness such as purchase of ventilators, personal protective equipment, medicines, and distribution of food packets.

P Velarasu, additional municipal commissioner in charge of the finance department, said, “This amount is as per receipts submitted to BMC as of Friday. More purchases are in the pipeline and receipts will be submitted.”