Mumbai records highest ever 242 new cases in 24 hours

Dharavi slum

Mumbai recorded 242 new COVID-19 positive cases on Monday - the highest in 24 hours so far, taking the total to 1,540. Of the new cases, six are from Dharavi, which includes a 60-year-old man who died at Sion Hospital. The BMC also confirmed nine deaths on Monday that have taken place from April 4 till date. A total of 116 deaths have been recorded in the city till now.

Civic officials from G North ward said that the six new cases included a 34-year-old nurse from Shushrusha Hospital and 21-year-old ward boy from Breach Candy Hospital. Civic officials have identified around 15 high-risk contacts of the man who died, and they have been sent to the Rajiv Gandhi Sports complex in Dharavi for testing. The death count rose to five in Dharavi while a total of 49 cases have been reported. According to civic officials, a total of 1,381 high-risk contacts and 250 people are in quarantine facilities in Ruparel College, Sai Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex.

Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner of G North ward office, said that while hospitals were required to take responsibility of their staff members, the Shushrusha Hospital management had failed to do so. "It is our responsibility to test hospital staff if they are at high risk or symptomatic. We cannot test all hospital staff and it is also the hospital's responsibility to bear the cost of testing. A letter has been issued to the hospital regarding this," said Dighavkar.

When contacted, the hospital spokesperson said, "We have cooperated with the BMC and have followed all their guidelines. The civic body was earlier testing all suspected patients and staff members and was tracing their contacts as well. The BMC changed their testing criteria but did not inform the hospital about it till Monday evening."

Meanwhile, the six staff members of Taj Palace Hotel in Colaba who were admitted to Bombay Hospital are doing better. Dr Gautam Bhansali, consultant physician at Bombay Hospital, said that while all the six patients were symptomatic, three of them had serious symptoms.
"Three of them had breathing difficulties but now they are in a better condition and are stable. We will test them again on Tuesday to check if the infection is still there," added Dr Bhansali.

He further said that the civic officials were still trying to find the source of the infection. The six patients include a chef from Shamiana restaurant, a security guard and staff members from the laundry department. Meanwhile, a junior radiologist from Bombay Hospital has been quarantined for testing and his results are still awaited.

State health department officials reported 352 new cases in Maharashtra on Monday. Eleven deaths have been reported in the state in the past 24 hours, of which nine are from Mumbai. Total death toll in the state has reached 160.

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