Amid preparations for the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Maharashtra, the Covid figures of the country's financial capital may be turning into a cause for concern for experts and authorities. Amid warnings of an imminent third wave, the state capital of Mumbai has seen a spike in Covid-19 cases in the month of September.
As per data provided by the BMC, Mumbai reported 28 per cent of the total COVID-19 cases it had recorded in the entire month of August in the first six days of September.
The spike in the cases in the financial capital of the country has left the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials worried ahead of the festive season beginning on September 10 with the Ganesh Chaturthi.
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Suresh Kakani, the additional municipal commissioner, said in view of the current situation, the Mumbai civic body has decided to ramp up COVID-19 testing, hire more clean-up marshals to fine people spitting at public places, and keep jumbo COVID-19 centres ready.
"One month is important for us. Currently, people are going out for the ten-day Ganpati festival (beginning September 10). They will return after immersion (Anant Chaturdashi). Hence this period and the next 15 days will be very crucial for us," Kakani said.
In normal times, pandals set up by various mandals in Mumbai and in other cities in Maharashtra attract thousands of devotees during the Ganesh festival.
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Mumbai on Monday reported 379 fresh coronavirus positive cases and five fatalities, taking the tally of infections to 7,46,725 and the death toll to 15,998. The city is now left with 3,771 active cases, a BMC official said.
The daily COVID-19 cases in Mumbai remained above 400 since September 1, but after a gap of five days, Mumbai logged less than 400 infections on Monday. Mumbai had recorded 496 cases and two fatalities the day before.
The data shows that Mumbai already reported 2,570 COVID-19 infections and 21 fatalities in the last six days of September, which comes at 28.9 per cent of the total 9,147 cases recorded in the entire month of August, which had seen 157 fatalities due to COVID-19.
With the surge in daily cases, the active COVID-19 cases, which had dipped to 2,700, jumped to 3,771 as of September 6.
The number of buildings sealed due to the COVID-19 cases rose to 44 from 20 in August.
In another worrying parameter, the average doubling rate of COVID-19 cases worsened to 1,290 days after improving to over 2,000 days. The average growth rate based on the past seven days increased to 0.06 per cent from 0.04 per cent, as per the data.
Kakani said the civic body is increasing the number of COVID-19 tests as a precautionary measure and also speeding up the pace of vaccination. Apart from this, the BMC is also conducting meetings with general practitioners at ward levels and keeping jumbo COVID-19 facilities ready.
"We are also appealing people to follow COVID appropriate behaviour," Kakani said, adding they have already directed the ward offices to increase the number of clean up marshals.
He said jumbo COVID-19 centres at Dahisar, Mulund and BKC are already opened and a couple more centres will be opened later this month.
Amid a rising graph of COVID-19 cases, Mumbai municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal had conducted a meeting with top BMC officials and officers of the Mumbai police.
(With inputs from PTI)
