COVID-19 in Mumbai: Dharavi reports zero cases for the first time since third wave hit

Keeping up with its new found global reputation of the ‘Dharavi Model’, the slum, on January 28, recorded zero Covid cases – the first time since the third wave hit the city. Dharavi’s coronavirus caseload is 8,581, of which 8,121 have recovered.

Zero cases in the area are being looked upon as flattening of the peak here, a civic official said. Dharavi, as per the BMC, is home to 4.6 lakh people above 18 years; however, with a floating population, it reaches up to 8.5 lakh.

Assistant municipal commissioner Kiran Dighavkar (G- North ward; Dadar, Mahim, Dharavi), said that the number of cases in the area fell to zero after 39 days. The area had last recorded zero cases on December 20, 2021. Dharavi reported zero cases 14 times in the month of December and continuously for six days from December 15-20.

Since the first case of Omicron from Dharavi, civic authorities had geared up to reintroduce the ‘Dharavi Model’ aggressively to keep a check on any daily rise. Officials from the G-north ward said the three key steps – sanitising public toilets five times in a day, free Covid-19 testing and door-to-door vaccination – have been taken up here. Dharavihadloggedarecord 150 new cases on January 6 this year before the numbers started dipping. It now has 43 active cases, and only 11 patients are hospitalised currently, Dighavkar added.