Mumbai reported 441 new cases and 21 deaths on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases in the city up to 8,800. At least 343 citizens have succumbed to the virus till now.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) daily report, of the 21 deaths, 10 patients suffered from co-morbid diseases and seven had age-related issues. One patient who succumbed was below the age of 40, 11 were above 60 years old and nine were between 40 and 60 years of age.

The BMC said of the 441 new cases, only 381 were Sunday’s cases while 60 were patients who tested positive in various labs on April 30 and May 1 and have been included in the tally now. Around 100 patients who recovered were discharged on Sunday.

The BMC has advised citizens who test positive not to rush to big hospitals for admission if they do not have symptoms. “The Health Department will guide you to nearby COVID-19 care centres,” it said.

BMC staffer succumbs

Another BMC staffer succumbed to the virus on Saturday. Eight of his colleagues have also tested positive for COVID-19.

The 49-year-old mukadam from F South ward’s solid waste management (SWM) department had gone on leave for about a week. The patient, who lived at Kasarwadi municipal chawl in Dadar, reportedly visited a local dispensary when he started developing symptoms. He was admitted to KEM Hospital on Friday night where he tested positive and passed away within 24 hours.

His family has been quarantined and will be tested.

An official from the ward said he did not work in a containment zone but on a garbage disposal truck. Concerns have been raised in the past about the disposal of used masks, gloves and other contaminated material along with regular garbage.

The BMC had held a health camp for its staffers from the ward earlier this week where eight staffers from SWM department had tested positive. Since none of them have symptoms, they have been kept in COVID Care Centre 1, meant for asymptomatic positives.

“Our staff has been given gloves and masks to wear while working with solid waste. Besides, biomedical waste is collected and disposed separately. He had gone on leave but did not inform us of symptoms,” said an official from the BMC. The health officer of the ward claimed that she had not been notified of the case.

Milind Ranade of Kachra Vahtuk Shramik Sangh said, “In Parel, in the past when conservancy staffers would be asked to go into containment zones, they were not even given protective suits. It was only after we demanded it that they were allowed the suits. Now they are being asked to wash those themselves and reuse them.”