Mumbai: In order to keep coronavirus outbreak at bay, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) adopted the trace, test and treat strategy on the lines of Mission Dharavi. With the number of positive Covid-19 cases coming up every day, authorities have been racing against time to find space for those who need to be isolated after coming in contact with Covid-19 patients.
Considering that the isolating and testing of suspected patients is the need of the hour, the civic body till date traced and isolated 15,85,967 contacts of Covid-19 patients across the city. As on July 5, 13,28,413 have successfully completed the isolation period.
Of these 15.86 Lakh people, 5.34 lakh were identified as the high-risk content, while 10.52 lakh people were identified as low-risk contacts. Nearly 2.46 lakh were put under home quarantine.
"As most residents of the city live in close proximity with their families and neighbours, especially in slums, for each person who tests positive, a large number of people need to be isolated for two weeks and tested. We adopted the strategy to ensure the spread in the particular building or area is contained and outspread is lowered by isolating those identified as the close contacts. The strategy is working," said a senior BMC official.
Since April, BMC had authorised assistant commissioners of all 24 wards have rented empty residential buildings, hotels, dharamshalas, clubs, exhibition centres, colleges, hostels, dormitories, gymkhanas and banquet halls to be used as isolation centres.
There are currently 750 active containment zones which have around 10.3 lakh households including 44.8 lakh population.
