Mumbai: BMC to conduct random COVID-19 test at crowded places without consent

A health worker tests a woman for COVID at LTT. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Amid a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, on Saturday, said that rapid antigen testing will be done randomly without consent at crowded places like malls, railway stations, bus depots, khau galli, markets, tourist places and government offices.

"Rapid antigen testing (RAT) at crowded places like malls, railway stations (for inbound trains), bus depots, marketplaces, tourist places and government offices shall be done randomly. RAT will be carried out without the consent of citizens who are present at these crowded places," the order issued by the civic body stated.

"If the citizen refuses to test, it would amount to an offence under the Epidemic Act, 1897. Hence, action shall be initiated against the offender," the order further read.

The train stations where mandatory and random RAT will be done are: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai Central, Dadar Western and Central, Bandra Terminal, Andheri, Borivali and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Kurla.

The bus depots where RAT will be conducted are Mumbai Central, Parel, Borivali and Kurla.

A target of at least 400 rapid antigen tests has been set in malls, while the target is 1,000 at railway stations.

The cost of testing at malls will be paid by those who are getting tested, but the cost of testing at other areas will be paid by the civic body, the municipal body said in the order.

Shattering past peaks, daily COVID-19 cases crossed the 3,000 mark in Mumbai on Friday and remained above 25,000 across Maharashtra amid a second wave. The virus claimed 70 lives in the state in 24 hours.

The rising cases are threatening to overwhelm the civic body which has stepped up efforts to control the pandemic in the city through appeals and punitive measures.

Maharashtra recorded 25,681 new infections, taking the overall state tally to 24.22 lakh. There has been a slight increase in the daily mortality figures. So far, 53,208 people have succumbed to the coronavirus in the state.

New cases in Mumbai touched 3,062, surpassing Thursday's 2,877 daily infections, which was the highest since the pandemic began a year ago. Mumbai is witnessing a surge in the cases after numbers had declined for over three months.

In other municipalities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Kalyan-Dombivali also saw an upsurge with 552, 391 and 644 daily positive cases respectively.

The doubling rate now stands at 124 days. Mumbai's overall growth rate has increased rapidly in the last one week to 0.56 per cent.