Mumbai: How complete lockdown reduced Covid positive cases in Malad's Appapada

MUMBAI: Police commissioner Parambir Singh has suggested to the BMC to find alternate accommodation for essential workers living in containment zones, so that they don't have to step in and out of these zones everyday for work. On Friday, Singh visited Appapada and Santosh Nagar in Malad east which had been put under complete lockdown after a high number of Covid positive cases. Strict enforcement of the lockdown saw cases decrease from an average 12 per day in Appapada to two cases per day.
"Of the 750 odd containment zones in Mumbai, about 250 or so are located in North Mumbai alone. About a fortnight ago, there was a sudden spike in Covid cases in the North Region which was alarming. We then identified 27 hotspots from among containment zones and implemented complete lockdown there with the help of volunteers. As a result, areas like Santosh Nagar have not seen a single Covid positive case in the past two days," Singh told mediapersons.
What worked for Appapada was barricading multiple entries into slum colonies and chawls and keeping a single entry/exit open with policemen watching over it. "Public lavatories were being sanitised twice earlier are now sanitised six times. Our personnel ensured that every shop except essentials were kept shut so that people had no reason to step out of home. Those violating the lockdown by riding motorcycles or not wearing masks were booked," said senior inspector B Salunkhe, Kurar police. Slums are no longer a reason for worry, police said, as fresh cases are now cropping up in buildings. "We are sealing buildings where an uptick in cases is found. Areas with high density of population must be particular about maintaining hand hygiene and social distancing if they want to fight Covid," Singh said.
The police have begun identifying essential workers living in Appapada so that the BMC can find an alternate accomodation for them as suggested by the police commissioner.