MUMBAI :
The Maharashtra government on Thursday sealed all the covid-19 hotposts in Mumbai, including the largest slum cluster, Dharavi, as the state reported 229 new coronavirus cases, taking the tally to 1,364.
Mumbai reported 229 new cases the highest in a single day. Dharavi on Thursday reported the third death when a 70-year-old woman passed away after testing positive for covid-19.
More than 14 people have been confirmed with the covid-19 infection in Dharavi. Fearing community transmission, the health ministry drafted a containment plan for slum clusters.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has banned all unlicensed vegetable and fruit markets, hawkers and sellers at the containment areas in Dharavi to prevent further spread of the virus, said officials of BMC. Only medical outlets are allowed to function. Anyone caught buying from unlicensed roadside vendors will be arrested, they added.
Of the 1,364 covid-19 cases in Maharashtra, 876 have been reported from Mumbai, which recorded 45 deaths. Maximum patients have been found in G-South ward spread between Haji Ali and Worli, followed by E, D and K-West wards.
Despite the lockdown, the number of containment zones in Mumbai has increased from 146 on 31 March to 381 on Thursday. These include housing societies, slum pockets, and hospitals, including Wockhardt Hospital, Jaslok Hospital, and Bhatia Hospital.
BMC has barred the entry or exit of people from the containment zones. The municipal corporation said it will start providing door-to-door service for essentials in these areas.
The development comes a day after the Maharashtra government made the wearing of face masks mandatory in public places in Mumbai, the first city in India to do so.
Maharashtra has also classified containment zones as simple zones (with one case) and cluster containment zones (with 3-5 cases), besides creating a buffer zone around these containment zones.
Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/mumbai-seals-parts-of-dharavi-11586437129347.html
