Active Covid cases in Mumbai surge by 62% in a month, BMC on alert | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times
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Active Covid cases in Mumbai surge by 62% in a month, BMC on alert

ByRupsa Chakraborty, Mumbai
Sep 16, 2021 10:45 PM IST

On August 15, Mumbai had 2,834 active Covid cases, which on September 15 increased to 4,602, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

In the past one month, the number of active Covid-19 cases has increased by 62.3% in Mumbai, as per the civic body. Anticipating a further rise in cases in the next 14 days, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has instructed ward officers to activate buffer beds at Covid Care Centres (CCCs).

On Wednesday, Mumbai recorded a test positive rate of 1.71% with 514 new Covid cases. As of September 15, the number of active Covid cases in Mumbai was 4,602. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT)
On Wednesday, Mumbai recorded a test positive rate of 1.71% with 514 new Covid cases. As of September 15, the number of active Covid cases in Mumbai was 4,602. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT)

On August 15, the city had 2,834 active Covid cases, which on September 15 increased to 4,602, according to BMC. However, as per data by the public health department, active cases in the city have seen a surge of 77.2% with active cases increasing from 3,096 on August 15 to 5,488 on September 15.

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On Wednesday, Mumbai recorded a test positive rate (TPR) of 1.71% with 514 new Covid-19 cases. As a result, BMC has started taking preparatory measures.

“We have already instructed ward officers to increase buffer beds reserved in CCCs to avoid any shortage of beds in case the number of patients increases. We will also station more healthcare workers (HCWs) at these centres to attend to these patients, in addition to making arrangements to keep oxygen supply facilities at a stand by,” said Suresh Kakani, additional BMC commissioner. “For the third wave, we will keep 70,000 beds in CCCs,” he added.

State health minister Rajesh Tope had earlier said the government might impose restrictions if the daily consumption of oxygen reaches 700 metric tonnes per day.

Some wards like E and A that cover Byculla and Fort, respectively, are recording a surge in cases. As of September 15, both these wards have recorded seven-day positivity rate of 0.09% — the highest in the city. Of the 508 active beds, where patients can immediately get admitted to, in E ward, 272 beds are occupied which accounts for 55% occupancy.

Private hospitals are recording higher admission rates of Covid-19 patients as compared to August. Of the eight beds reserved in Covid-19 intensive care unit (ICU) at LH Hiranandani Hospital in Powai, seven are occupied.

“As the global trend predicts, Mumbai will also face the third wave, mostly by the end of September or middle of October. In the past two weeks, we are seeing a steady rise in the number of Covid-19 cases. In this festival season, testing has gone down, so, many Covid-19 patients are going undetected. But with the end of the festival, we might see a surge in the next two-three weeks,” said Dr Neeraj Tulara, infectious disease specialist at the hospital.

As HT reported earlier, BMC has predicted that in the possible third wave, the city might record around 125,000 new Covid-19 cases.

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