As a precautionary measure, medical volunteers distribute mask, takes reading of body temperature and oxygen levels of people in Mumbai. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty) Mumbai on Sunday recorded 3,775 Covid-19 cases, the highest single-day rise in its total cases since the pandemic hit the state in March last year. With 3,063 cases, the last highest count was recorded on Friday.
The total number of Covid cases in Mumbai is 3.62 lakh now, of which, 23,448 are active. In the past 24 hours, the number of active cases has risen by 2,113. In the first 21 days of March, the daily caseload in the city has increased by 2.41 times.
However, as opposed to over 40 deaths a day in October last year, the daily death rate due to the virus has dropped to single digits since February this year. On Sunday, 10 deaths were recorded, of which, nine patients aged above 60 years. The recovery rate has also improved to 91 per cent on Sunday as opposed to 86 per cent in October.
On Friday, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal directed ward officers to double daily Covid tests from 25,000 to 50,000 in the next two days and vaccinate at least one lakh of beneficiaries per day, up from the current coverage of 40,000. In the past 24 hours, 24,220 Covid tests were recorded. The positivity rate has jumped from 5.2 to 16 per cent in 20 days.
Chahal also took a call to increase 2,400 beds in private hospitals as hospitalisations have increased. Officials expect cases to surge further and cross 5,000 in the coming days. Currently, there are 12,694 beds at jumbo facilities, dedicated Covid health care centres and hospitals for serious, moderate and complicated cases. Over 50 per cent of these facilities are occupied.
Sixty-one per cent of 1,539 ICU beds are currently occupied. Of 966 ventilator beds, 309 are available.
The BMC directed private and government hospitals to stop admitting asymptomatic patients and admit only those referred from the BMC war room unless it is an emergency Covid-19 case. Asymptomatic patients in residential buildings will have to opt for home isolation, while asymptomatic or mildly ill cases from slums and chawls will be moved to the CCC. At present, of 23, 806 CCC beds, 820 are occupied.
As of Sunday, 4,921 floors were sealed across the city, while the number of sealed buildings stood at 316. As per the current rule, the BMC seals a building if there are five and more Covid-positive cases from there. Forty chawls/slums were marked as containment zones.
From April 8, 2020, to March 20 this year, the BMC has collected Rs 40.49 crore as fine from over 20 lakh people who were caught without masks in public places.