BF.7 variant of Covid-19: Focus is on rigorously implementing vaccination drive in Mumbai, says BMC

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday said it would focus on rigorously implementing the vaccination drive amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in some countries, believed to be fuelled by the BF.7 sub-variant of Omicron, reported news agency PTI.

A release from the BMC also appealed to citizens to strictly adhere to Covid-19 norms and appropriate behaviour in order to keep coronavirus at bay.

The BMC said the steps it was taking were based on guidelines issued by the Union government on December 20 and 22 after a surge in cases in China, Japan, and the United States of America.

Samples of 2 per cent of international passengers arriving at Mumbai airport will be subjected to RT-PCR tests, and all positive samples will be sent for genome sequencing to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology, it said.

The civic body said its two hospitals, namely Seven Hills (1,700 beds) and Kasturba (35 beds), and four state government-run facilities, comprising Cama Hospital (100 beds), St. George Hospital (70 beds), Tata Hospital (16 beds) and Jagjivan Ram Hospital (12 beds), were treating Covid-19 patients in the metropolis.

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There are 871 beds earmarked for the infection in 26 private hospitals, and admission to all civic and state-run as well as private hospitals will be managed by 24/7 BMC war rooms set up in its 24 administrative wards.

Enough Oxygen facility is available in the form of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO), Dura Cylinders and PSA (pressure swing absorption) tanks to manage COVID-19 cases, the BMC release added.

"Citizens are urged to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour, including wearing masks in public, maintaining physical distance from others, washing hands frequently with soap and water, and staying home when feeling sick," it said.

Highlighting that elderly citizens and patients with diabetes and hypertension should take proper precautions, the civic body also asked citizens to take vaccination and precautionary dose.

"These actions will play a critical role in controlling the spread of Covid-19 and maintaining the health and well-being of the community," the release stated.

(With inputs from PTI)