Active cases in neighbouring regions rose from 17,000 to 39,000 in a fortnight, at the same pace as before the lockdown
A team of BMC health workers conduct door-to-door screening for COVID-19 and malaria at Bail Bazar on Friday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Two back-to-back lockdown extension of 46 days have failed to contain the spread of novel Coronavirus in eight municipal corporations of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, where cases and deaths due to COVID-19 have more than doubled within 15 days.
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When the lockdown was extended once again on July 2, the doubling rate of Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Navi Mumbai, Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Mira-Bhayandar, Palghar and Vasai-Virar, combined, was at 15 days and that remained the same even two weeks later. Whereas the city's doubling rate was 45 days on July 2 and has improved to 56 days now.
These municipal corporations collectively had 17,663 active cases and 1,064 deaths as of June 30, but by July 16, as many as 38,619 patients were receiving treatment and casualties had risen to 2,121.
After reopening during the Unlock 1.0, the novel Coronavirus infections started exploding in these regions and the government imposed even stricter lockdown measures Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Mira-Bhayandar and Navi Mumbai on June 2. The lockdown, which was supposed to end on June 10, was extended again till July 17 in Mira-Bhayandar, and till July 18 in other regions as cases continued an upward trend.
Despite repeated extensions, the infections continue to rise sharply. Kalyan-Dombivli alone reported a sharp increase in cases to 16,661 on July 16 from 7,503 on June 30 -- a jump of 122 per cent. Even deaths rose three-fold to 257 from 89 during the same period.
BMC health workers examine residents of IC Colony at a fever camp at Samaj Kalyan Ground, Borivli. FILE PIC
Currently, Mira-Bhayandar has 6,570 cases, a massive jump from 3,592 on June 30. As many as 102 people have died due to COVID-19 related complications over the past 16 days. In Thane, the number of cases increased 16,248 from 9,922 and deaths rose to 621 from 339 between July 1 to 16. Navi Mumbai, too, witnessed a sharp rise both in cases and deaths. Infections rose to 12,004 from 7,872 and deaths reached 320 from 177 during the same period.
Other areas in the MMR also have a similar doubling rate, according to the officials.
"The growth rate of infections in Mumbai has been continuously decreasing despite the reopening, but the city cannot function fully if the cases in the MMR don't come down. These areas are interdependent and travelling within the region will increase the cases," said a senior official from the BMC on the condition of anonymity.
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