Coronavirus Tally Crosses 2,000-Mark In Mumbai, 26 New Cases In Dharavi

The number of coronavirus cases in Mumbai crossed the 2,000-mark on Thursday, reaching 2,043 with 107 new patients testing positive, government officials said. At least 26 of the new cases were reported in Dharavi, Asia's biggest slum that houses over 8 lakh people. It took the tally of coronavirus cases in Dharavi to 86, including nine deaths.

Mumbai, home to 1.2 crore people who live in the city and 60 lakh in surrounding districts, has reported 1,000 new cases in just six days. The coronavirus tally in the country's financial and entertainment capital had crossed 1,000 on April 11.

Three COVID-19 patients died since Wednesday night, taking the number of deaths due to the pandemic in the city to 116, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a statement.

"Two of those died had co-morbidities (existing health issues) and one had both co-morbidities and age-related factors," said a BMC officer. One of those who died was from Dharavi.

Authorities also said 21 more patients had recovered from the disease on Thursday, taking tally to 202.

The civic body also said that 299 people were admitted to hospitals for possible COVID-19 infection during the day.

With Mumbai making up around 15 per cent of the country's total coronavirus cases, officials have said that a sharply higher rate of testing has contributed to the surge in numbers.

The city has conducted 2,374 tests per million, versus 448 per million in capital New Delhi, according to a Mumbai government report reviewed by news agency Reuters.

Authorities have cordoned off parts of the slums, set up special fever clinics and created massive quarantine centres in a stadium and empty government buildings. But the restrictions are hard to observe when living at such close quarter.

Meanwhile, a senior official said that two family members of a fire brigade official from Byculla tested positive and so the officer and neighbours were put under home quarantine, news agency PTI reported.

"Swab test of close contacts of the family as well as the fire official were negative," he said, adding that as a precaution two floors of the building have been quarantined.

"All the fire brigade staff engaged in sanitisation operation are provided with personal protective equipment," he added.

A constable attached to the Khar Police Station has also tested positive leading to those policemen who came into contact with him also being quarantined.

The BMC on Thursday also collected swab samples of 87 journalists who are out in the field covering the pandemic at a special health camp.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra rose to 3,081 with 165 new cases on Thursday. The number of COVID-19 deaths stood at 187.

The high mortality rate in Mumbai and Maharashtra has worried health experts. In a media bulletin, the state government announced an expert panel to oversee the treatment of COVID-19 patients. "Covid-related mortality in Maharashtra is higher than other states in the country. To analyse its causation, to plan measures in order to tackle this issue and to provide guidance to treating doctors at the district level, a special task force of doctors has been formed at the state level," the government said.