High-risk contacts lead Covid spike in south Mumbai ward

MUMBAI: With a slight rise in Covid cases in South Mumbai’s upscale D ward, the BMC plans to check if those infected had been vaccinated or not. Officials said most infections in the recent past have turned out to be high–risk contacts (HRC) of Covid patients.
D ward comprises Breach Candy, Peddar Road, Nepean Sea Road to Grand Road, Tardeo and parts of Girgaum. Prashant Gaikwad, assistant municipal commissioner of the ward said D ward had been reporting around 14-15 cases, but for the past three to four days, cases have been hovering around 24-28 a day.
“We have been aggressively testing and have found that most of those infected have been among high-risk contacts. As vaccination has progressed considerably, we plan to check how many of those infected were vaccinated to study if there is a pattern,” said Gaikwad, adding active Covid cases in the ward are currently around 250. Officials said travel could also be a reason for the spike, especially since many were getting themselves tested as part of work protocols.
Nandini Chabbria, office-bearer of the Breach Candy ALM, said many of those getting infected could be those who are not yet vaccinated or those who have lowered their guard after a single shot. “Travel has definitely gone up like it did after the first wave had subsided. The BMC must compel all essential and non-essential shop-keepers to ensure all their staff are vaccinated. They could also be asked to place a board outside their shops declaring vaccination status of their staff,” she said.
“It’s important for people to act responsibly and quarantine themselves,” said Mukul Mehra of the Nepean Sea Road Citizens Forum.