How Mumbai is fighting coronavirus, important helpline numbers

Coronavirus screening on the streets of Mumbai. Pic:Suresh KK

With two new positive cases of COVID-19 reported in Mumbai on March 19, the total number of confirmed cases in Mumbai stood at 18. From keeping government offices operational with 25 per cent work force, to closing all non-essential services and shops (essential shops for grocery, vegetable, fish and medicine are excluded from the list) till March 31, the Maharashtra government has announced regulations in major cities of the state to restrain the spread of coronavirus by restricting crowd movement.

In Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has stepped up its efforts and implemented several measures to contain the spread of coronavirus. We look at how Mumbai gears up to fight coronavirus

Important helpline numbers

Central Helpline Number for corona-virus: +91-11-23978046

Helpline for Corona-virus in Maharashtra - 020-26127394

Click here for coronavirus helpline numbers of all states and union territories

MyGov Corona Helpdesk on Whatsapp: 9013151515

BMC emergency helpline: 1916

Indian Railways: 24x7 control room number +91-11-23978046
Email: ncov2019@gmail.com

Western Railway: 022-23080755, 022-67643200, 022-67643300
Whatsapp number of Medical Officer for Zone and JRH is - 9004490560

Flora Fountain in South Mumbai. Pic: Atul Kamble

Private hospitals in Mumbai join the fight against coronavirus
Apart from the isolation facilities arranged by the civic body, 10 private hospitals in the city have reserved 150 isolation beds for patients who test positive. A civic official said that apart from SevenHills Hospital, the Municipal Capacity Building & Research (MCMCR) building in Chandivli will also serve as a quarantine facility. Read the full story

Uddhav Thackeray: All workplaces closed till March 31, public transport will operate
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has announced that all non-essential workplaces in major cities of Maharashtra, including the Mumbai Metropolitan region, Pune, Nagpur, Pimpri-Chinchwad will remain closed till March 31. The government offices will operate at 25 per cent attendance. He added that all shops except for kirana stores and medical shops shall remain closed till March 31. Banks shall remain functional. Read full story

17,000 shops in 92 civic markets to be shut in Mumbai
As per the order of Municipal Commissioner Pravin Pardeshi to close shops on alternate days to reduce the crowd, a list of roads across the city was declared by the 24 ward officers on Thursday. The roads include all the famous spots for shopping like Dadar market, Bandra Linking Road, Crawford and Manish market. In Dadar the trader association come forward to announce a complete shutdown of non-essential goods shops till Gudhi Padwa and in Ghatkopar, traders will shut their shops till Saturday. More details

If people flee quarantine, strict action will be taken
Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has asked Mumbai police to take action against people escaping Coronavirus quarantine facilities and increasing the risk of community transmission under the Epidemic Diseases Act, which has a provision for holding someone accountableof committing a criminal offence punishable under an IPC section. The screening authorities have started stamping an identity mark on the left arm of such people, so that they can be traced and reported to the police. Read the story here

How day-to-day lives of photographers are getting affected
But is it possible for a photographer or the paparazzi to work from home? Sadly no!How exactly their lives are getting affected amidst the pandemic? Read the story

Decline in rail passengers
With the spread of COVID-19, The number of passengers on railway lines and public transport buses is on a steady decline like never before with every passing day. A fall of about 10 lakh passengers on an average per day has been reported in Mumbai. Read the full story