Mumbai COVID-19: Taj Mahal Palace and Tower does not have any guests at the current time
Some employees of the iconic Taj Mahal Palace and Taj Mahal Towers hotel in south Mumbai's Colaba have tested positive for coronavirus. For the last few days, the Indian Hotels Company, which runs the chain of Taj hotels, was hosting doctors and health workers from state-run hospitals. Now, the hotel has been shut for visitors.
"Approximately 500 of our employees who are at work in our Mumbai hotels have been tested to date. Those who have tested positive mostly were asymptomatic showing absolutely no signs of illness," the hotel said in a statement.
"However, staff testing positive and symptomatic were duly hospitalized and others who were in contact with them - have immediately been put in quarantine in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) norms and guidelines issued by the local Government authorities," it said.
"Taj Mahal Palace and Tower does not have any guests at the current time and only very minimal staff in areas like housekeeping, security, maintenance and staff dining are present to ensure the upkeep and maintenance of the hotel," it said.
Meanwhile, concerns over rising number of cases of COVID-19 in Dharavi continues. So far 43 have been tested positive for coronavirus. The authorities have widened screening and will test everyone in Dharavi numbering around seven lakh.
"The cases that are being are being detected now are definitely worrying, but you will see wherever we find cases we seal it completely. No one is allowed to go inside or come out. We are delivering essentials like bread, vegetables and medicines," Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said.
"The BMC (civic agency) is screening families in all areas that have been sealed. Whatever cases are coming these are a result of contact tracing and screening of contacts of positive cases," he said.
The Maharashtra government has extended the lockdown till April 30 and said it will be testing more aggressively.
With nearly 1,900 cases of coronavirus detected, Maharashtra continues to remain the state with the highest number of cases.