Buildings to be sealed, marshals in trains: BMC’s new Covid-19 norms for Mumbai – Hindustan Times

With Mumbai in the middle of a ‘second wave’ of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday issued updated guidelines to control the situation the city.

“Updated guidelines issued by Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal to ensure that we don’t let Covid-19 get the better of Mumbai,” the city’s civic body posted on its official Twitter handle, using hashtags ‘NaToCorona’ and ‘MissionZero.’

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According to the new guidelines, any residential building with more than five active Covid-19 cases will be sealed, while citizens flouting rules of home isolation, weddings and public gatherings will face prosecution. The guidelines further mandate that travellers coming to Mumbai from Brazil will need to compulsorily undergo seven days of institutional quarantine, while hands of those directed to undergo home quarantine will be stamped.

At least one case of the Brazil strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been detected thus far in India.

The updated guidelines also say that 300 marshals will be appointed to act against those not wearing masks in trains, the resumption of full services of which on February 1, many say, has led to the ‘revival’ of the pandemic in Mumbai. Also, to keep a check on passengers not wearing masks, the number of marshals will be doubled from 2,400 to 4,800.

Further, police personnel have been authorised to fine citizens not wearing masks and regular checks will be conducted at halls, wedding venues etc. to ensure full compliance of norms. Violation of any rule, guidelines say, will lead to action against the organisers, as well as the concerned management officials.

The Covid-19 situation in Mumbai, as well as in Maharashtra, has seen a resurgence in recent days, leading to speculations that another lockdown could be imposed in the city. The state capital registered 736 new infections and four related deaths on Thursday, taking the infection tally to 316,487 and death toll to 11,432.

The western state, meanwhile, registered 5,427 fresh cases and 38 related deaths on the day, taking the respective tallies to 2,081,520 and 51,669. This is the third time in the last five days that there have been more than 4,000 new daily cases; 4,092 and 4,787 infections were registered on February 14 and 17 respectively. Maharashtra’s latest spike is its highest thus far this year.