Mall-hopping in Mumbai? Carry negative COVID-19 report

Customers on the first day of the reopening of malls at Inorbit, Malad on August 5, 2020. Pic/Shadab Khan

With the numbers of COVID-19 cases in the city expected to rise, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to also increase the number of tests. In a move to further identify positive cases in people who might unknowingly be responsible for the spread, the BMC has decided to make it mandatory for citizens to go through antigen tests or to carry a negative COVID report to enter malls, huge shopping centres or other public places. The development was confirmed by Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani.

Sanitisation of Growel's 101 Mall at Kandivli on August 1 before its opening. Pic/Satej Shinde

Citizens will have to pay for the tests that will be carried out at the malls but whether all the public places will have to have screenings and thorough tests, will be under the purview of the ward officials, said civic officials. While the civic body is not looking at shutting shops for now, they want to ensure that the rules are implemented, and people are masking up. Further the BMC will be providing malls and shopping places with the necessary mechanism to ensure that nobody enters the premises without being tested or carrying a negative RT-PCR report.

The BMC is also looking at shifting crowded vegetables and flower markets to open grounds just like last year when the pandemic had hit the city. BMC officials said that this move is planned to ensure that not many turn up at crowded places and also if someone is positive then they will be immediately identified and can be quarantined to stop further spread. While the experts on the task force have already asked the BMC to increase surveillance and look after those flouting home quarantine norms, the civic body is now preparing to deploy many personnel on the field to check the source of the spread.

The BMC is also looking at shifting crowded vegetables and flower markets to open grounds as during the lockdown. Representation pic

While the details of the plan are still being worked on, the BMC is likely to implement the rule from next week. According to civic officials, the call on entry to public places such as beaches or other popular places in the city, will have to be taken by the ward officers depending on the situation in their areas and depending on the crowd. The instructions likely to be issued by Saturday will have the details, said officials.

Kakani said, "In a meeting with the experts, the rise in the number of cases was discussed and we have decided to ramp up testing. With increased testing, the numbers in cases too are bound to go up. We will be making it mandatory to have a negative RT-PCR report to enter a mall or shopping centers where crowding takes place, and if the test reports are not there then citizens will have to go through antigen tests there and pay for them."