Mumbai News LIVE Updates: City reports 664 new COVID-19 cases, 744 recoveries, 9 deaths

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has informed that vaccination centres will be administering the first and second dose of Covishield and Covaxin on Thursday. For those citizens above 18 years of age, the jabs will be given at Covid-19 vaccination centres from 9 am to 5 pm. Read story here

Adani Electricity on Wednesday announced that it would disconnect supply of 700 customers of Siddharth Colony, a populated slum pocket in Chembur, for non-payment of bills to the tune of total Rs 2.5 crore. As the first 15 connections were cut, locals resisted, and the police were called in. Read story here

The daily Covid case tally increased in both the city and the state on Wednesday even as the state government decided to focus on eight districts where the test positivity rate is higher than the state average of 4.5%.CM Uddhav Thackeray chaired two meetings, speaking to district collectors as well as task force members regarding preparedness for the third wave and possible steps to bring down cases in Kolhapur, Pune rural, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Raigad and Palghar. Read story here

The BMC has incorporated the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in the vaccination schedule for infants. It is known to protect babies against pneumonia and other pneumococcal diseases. “The vaccine will be free in hospitals and clinics to children under the age of one. The city has over 1.5 lakh children in that age bracket,” said additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani.PCV will be given in three doses. The two primary doses will be given at six weeks of age and 14 weeks, and one booster dose at nine months. “As part of the preparation, training is being imparted. Arrangements are also being made for distribution of vaccines, syringes and other supplies,” he added.

The Bombay high court on Wednesday asked the state to show the notification constituting a divisional authority and a grievance committee for school fees as well as their addresses. Last month, HC had directed the state education department to respond to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar for proper enforcement of and compliance to the School Fees Act, 2011. The state, in its reply on Wednesday, said the divisional fees regulatory committee had been constituted. Read story here

Shiv Sena, in response to opposition allegations, justified the suspension of 12 BJP MLAs for alleged unruly behaviour with the presiding officer in the state assembly on Monday. The party mouthpiece Saamna, in an editorial, asked if the “governor’s supression” of 12 names that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government had recommended for the legislative council did not amount to “murder of democracy”. The state on Tuesday suspended 12 BJP legislators for a year for creating ruckus in the assembly over a discussion on the OBC quota issue. Devendra Fadnavis, opposition leader in the assembly, had called the action “murder of democracy” and threatened to move court. In response to the allegations, Shiv Sena raised questions over the 12 names recommended for the MLC post through the governor’s quota eight months ago as well as the suspension of 19 Congress-NCP MLAs in the past.