Mumbai: City sees lowest Covid-19 cases, deaths in December

People arrive at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, amid a global increase in COVID cases, on Friday. Pic/Sameer Markande

Despite the alarming global COVID-19 surge, Mumbai saw the lowest number of coronavirus cases in December - 211 - since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Even the death toll, two, is also the lowest so far.

Government agencies, nevertheless, are on their toes. The Union health ministry has made RT-PCR tests mandatory for passengers arriving in India from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand and Japan from the first day of the new year. Health infrastructure has also been put in place in view of a possible increase in cases.

On an average seven COVID cases were recorded per day in the city in December, according to BMC. Prior to this, November 2022 saw the lowest number of cases in the city - 829. Even after the third wave, the cases hovered above 1,000 in March and April. But in the last month of the calendar year, the daily cases recorded were in single digits almost every day.

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In December 2021, 20,588 cases and 35 deaths were recorded in the city. That year, too, the last month saw the lowest number of cases and deaths. But the cases started increasing from the third week of December, skyrocketing to 2,51,927 in January 2022. In the first month of this year, 270 people succumbed to COVID-19.

"As of now, there hasn't been any increase in cases in the city. But we are closely monitoring the situation and are ready with the infrastructure if the cases increase," said a BMC official. Mumbai has registered 11,55,000 cases and 19,746 deaths due to COVID-19 since March 2020.

19,746
COVID deaths registered in city so far

City's COVID numbers

Month Cases Deaths
October 3,704 7
November 829 5
December 211 2