Delay in isolating contacts spurred cases: Corporators

MUMBAI: A ward-wise analysis of cases by the BMC found that T ward, R North, and B ward, which had some of the fewest Covid-19 cases, witnessed a spurt in cases from double to triple digits over the past fortnight. On April 25, T ward had 32 cases, R North 29, and B had 74. Now, they are T 263, R North 151, and B 144.
Officials pointed at the spread of cases in congested slum pockets in these wards, like Indira Nagar and Ramgad and Mulund. In T ward, more than 50% cases are from the slums. In Borivli too, cases spread in the slums, though former corporator Abhishek Ghoshalkar said volunteers have managed to control the Covid-19 spread in the huge Ganpat Patil Nagar.

Corporators TOI spoke to blamed the sharp rise in cases, especially in congested wards like E, on the civic administration’s delay in isolating high-risk contacts of a person testing positive. “Several patients who tested positive in my ward were asymptomatic, and there was fear that they may have infected others with weak immune systems,” said E ward corporator Javed Juneja. Speaking about K West, which witnessed a sharp spike in cases, MLA Ameet Satam said besides sealing of congested localities, mass screening has started in several pockets.
In F North ward, which has reported over a 1,000 cases, slums are proving a challenge. “Almost 60% of the cases are from slum areas. In Antop Hill, localities like Sangam Nagar and Bhartiya Kamala Nagar have been marked out as red zones after there were over a dozen cases,” said Congress corporator from the area Ravi Raja.