The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) assured the Bombay high court on Wednesday that the current Covid-19 situation in Mumbai and the areas adjoining the city was ‘under control’ and there was no reason for citizens to panic.
Anil Sakhare, counsel for the BMC, informed the court that Mumbai was witnessing a gradual decline in Covid-positive cases in the current third wave of the pandemic. A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice MS Karnik was hearing a PIL filed by one Sneha Marjadi on several issues related to the pandemic and the management of the state’s resources for controlling the same.
Citing available data, Sakhare said that till January 15, there were 84,352 active Covid cases in the city. Of these, only 5,962 persons required hospitalisation, or only seven per cent of the cases. Three per cent of the total active cases in the city needed oxygen support and 0.7 per cent needed ventilator support, he said.
A detailed note was submitted by the BMC with details of active cases, oxygen supply, stock of medicines, hospital beds available etc.
Sakhare said: “We have adequate oxygen supply; hospital beds are available. There is no reason for any panic. There is also sufficient stock of medication.”
The chief justice then asked Sakhare: “Can you assure the court that everything is under control?”
To this, Sakhare replied in affirmative.
“Yes, everything is in control now. Cases are coming down. The number of positive cases had peaked to 20,000 around January 6 to January 9. But on January 15, the positive cases had come down to 10,000 and for the last three days, the cases have come down to 7,000,” said Sakhare.
Atharva Dandekar, advocate for the petitioner, pointed out to the court that while the BMC has managed the Covid situation well in the city, there were no details available for the rest of Maharashtra. He urged that the government too must submit details of positive cases, resources available etc., for entire Maharashtra.
Additional government pleader Poornima Kantharia said that she has called for the details from the concerned officials in the state; however, she has not yet received data from all the districts.
Agreeing with Dandekar, the HC has asked the government to submit details by January 25. The court has also asked the BMC to update its note and submit the same by January 25.
The court has kept the PIL for further hearing on January 27.
