MUMBAI: Mumbai’s largest slum cluster
Dharavi on Friday reported 16 Covid-19 cases — a steep rise from the single digit cases it was logging over the past few days.
The last time over 16 cases were reported from the area was over four months ago on October 23 last year when the locality reported 18
Covid positive cases.
As on February 26, the total active cases from Dharavi had also risen to 51 when compared with around a week ago on February 17 when 19 positive cases were reported.
Civic officials do not think it’s a local outbreak but attribute the rise in case numbers to increase testing.
Assistant municipal commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation G North ward Kiran Dighavkar said that the reason for the rise in cases was because they had begun to aggressively test all suspected cases once again.
“We are aggressively testing as many people as possible to curb the spread. Our teams are specifically identifying crowded areas including religious places and ensuring adequate tests are done,” he said.
Covid-19 had entered Mumbai's largest slum pocket — Dharavi — on April 1 last year and there were days when over 80 cases have been reported as well.
For instance May 3 last year witnessed 95 positive cases being reported in one day while on May 15, there were 84 cases reported.
However, on December 25, the area had reported zero positive cases for the first time ever since the pandemic.
Dharavi is the largest slum in Asia spread over 2.5 Sq. Km and also home to various small-scale enterprises of leather, pottery, textile.