Another worrying sign for city officials is the detection of Omicron cases in Dharavi, which had been recording zero cases till recently
Five buildings were sealed at Porbandar Castle after reporting Covid-19 cases, at Colaba, on October 24, 2020. Pic/Suresh Karkera
AMID the Omicron and third wave scare, some of the wards with mostly high-rises have reported a three- to five-fold rise in Covid-19 infections, particularly in South Mumbai, Bandra and Andheri. Cases have also spiked in places like Dharavi, which reported zero cases for several days until recently.
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A passenger undergoes Covid test at Dadar station on Sunday. Pic/Ashish Raje
Mumbai’s weekly Covid-19 cases doubled in a month, according to the official figures. The wards with maximum population in the high rises, including Colaba, Malabar Hill, Worli, Bandra West and Andheri West, have seen significant rise in cases. Dharavi, which managed to maintain a streak of no cases for a long time, has also registered a spike in infections. The jump in Covid-19 cases are being reported mostly among international travellers and areas with more high rises. The city had reported 2,728 Coronavirus cases from December 18 to 24, up from 1,383 recorded from November 18 to 24.
A ward, comprising Colaba, Nariman Point, Churchgate, Fort precincts, registered a four-fold rise in cases in a month. It’s Covid-19 tally from December 18 to 24 rose to 141 from merely 35 recorded during the same period in November. Similarly, the cases rose to 237 from 85 in D ward that consists of Mahalaxmi and Worli. In the Western suburbs, K west, including Andheri and Vile Parle, has been reporting most cases since the second wave. The Covid-19 infections in Bandra West and G South ward have also been increasing by leaps and bounds.
A civic health worker collects a swab sample of a passenger for Covid-19 test, at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Kurla, on Sunday. Pic/Sameer Markande
“Tracing and tracking are crucial tools to curb the Coronavirus spread. Tracing of close contacts of Covid-positive patients has resulted in an increase in cases. Wearing masks and maintaining a safe physical distance have become even more important now,” said a civic official.
Though non-slum areas are reporting 90 per cent of the infections, Dharavi, which had been reporting zero cases on most days until mid-December, has started registering a rise in Covid-19 figures. In a four-fold rise in a month, the area reported a total of 16 cases from December 18 to 24, up from just four during the same period last month. “One Omicron case was reported from Dharavi, following which we started tracing and testing vigorously. Simultaneously, we are also focusing on vaccination,” said an official from G North ward.
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