'People aren't serious, they sit together to chitchat in societies'

Police check commuters entering Mumbai, at Mira-Bhayandar. File pic/Nimesh Dave

While Mumbai has been recording fewer COVID-19 cases in June compared to May, Mira-Bhayandar has registered a three-fold rise within the past 21 days, and the number of deaths have increased four times to 88. The doubling rate of infections has increased to 12 days from 20 days."

Some part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) witnessed a rise in cases of novel Coronavirus after the state government partially eased the lockdown restrictions earlier this month. However, the cases in Mira-Bhayandar started rising in the last week of May. The city, with a population of 8.5 lakh, recorded 1,882 cases till Wednesday, June 17, which is more than three times the cases recorded on May 27.

Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation has still not reopened vegetable markets. File pic

As part of the lockdown, the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) had allowed only milk booths and medical shops to open for limited hours until May 17. After Unlock 1.0, the MBMC allowed the shops to reopen on odd-even basis, but the vegetable markets are still not permitted to operate. Only online delivery of vegetables and fruits is allowed in the city.

The number of cases rose exponentially to 1,882 as on June 17 from 577 on May 27, with 145 infections reported on June 11, 106 on June 13, 139 on June 16 and 90 on June 17. Subsequently, the doubling rate of cases also increased, first to 16 and now it stands at 12 days.

Geeta Jain, MLA

The mortality rate, too, increased to 4.91 per cent on June 16 from 3.46 per cent on May 27. The national mortality rate stands at 2.89 per cent.

"There are multiple reasons. People are not serious about COVID-19; I have seen people sitting together, chitchatting in many societies. This spreads the virus. Also, we are doing more tests, and the some reports were pending and they came back only in the past few days, leading to a sharp increase in the numbers," said Geeta Jain, Mira-Bhayandar MLA.

MBMC Commissioner Chandrakant Dange was unavailable for comment.

Trend of infections: March 27-June 15

1,882
No. of cases as on June 17

577
No. of cases as on May 27

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