Mumbai: 66 BEST staffers, officials test COVID-19 positive

At least 66 staffers and officials of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST), which operates a fleet of public buses in Mumbai and extended suburbs, have tested positive for coronavirus in the last few days, an official said on Wednesday.

The COVID-19 cases in Mumbai have gone up significantly over the last week. The Maharashtra capital had on Tuesday reported 10,860 cases, the second-highest daily count after April 7, 2021.

As per the information shared by the BEST's chief medical officer, 60 per cent of the 60 staff and officials tested positive during screening at BEST depots, a spokesperson said.

The remaining staffers underwent COVID-19 tests in their personal capacity and were found to be infected, he added.

"Although most of the infected staffers have mild symptoms, we have hospitalised 40 of them as a precautionary measure," the official said, adding that nine employees have already been discharged from hospitals.

The overall recovery rate of BEST employees is 96 per cent, he said.

BEST provides public bus services in Mumbai and neighbouring areas and supplies power to around 10 lakh consumers in the city. With its fleet of more than 3,000 buses, it transports over 30 lakh commuters in Mumbai and neighbouring cities every day.