Mumbai: Dharavi reports increase of 50 per cent of active Covid-19 cases in 9 days

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As per the BMC data, 66 active cases were reported in Mumbai's largest slum area - Dharavi on June 14. The number of cases are increasing in Dharavi as compared to the 44 active cases reported on June 6. Within nine days, there has been an increase of over 50 per cent of active cases in Dharavi.

Out of the total 66 cases, 64 patients are in home isolation while two symptomatic cases are hospitalised.

Speaking about the steady increase in the number of Covid-19 cases and hospitalisation, Kiran Dighavkar, Assistant Municipal Commissioner, G-North ward, says, "Most of the patients have mild symptoms. There are no major reasons to worry about it. Most of the cases we find are among family members. As many people residing and working in Dharavi and Mahim areas are migrant workers, the positive cases do have a travel history coming from different states and
Gulf countries."

The G-North ward's data further reveals that on June 14, out of the total 351 active cases, other areas in the ward reported more active cases than Dharavi (18.80 per cent). Dadar has 117 active cases (33.33 per cent) and Mahim has 168 active cases (47.86 per cent).

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Expressing the work done to motivate youngsters to take the vaccination, Dighavkar, adds, "Vaccination is the only way to prevent ourselves from catching this virus. With the help of community workers of various NGOs, we are trying to reach out to as many beneficiaries as possible. We are reaching out to various schools in the locality to vaccinate the school children"

The public health department officials have ordered all the local ward offices to track high-risk contact of fresh cases detected.

In the month of April, Covid vaccination centre (CVC) in Dharavi became the first BMC-run centre in Mumbai to start administering no-cost booster doses to 18-59 year old beneficiaries in the city. The BMC is also focusing on vaccination drives to implement the 'Har Ghar Dastak' campaign.

On June 14, Mumbai reported 1,724 new cases and two deaths.