Mumbai: The Covid-19 graph across Mumbai seems to show a downward trend, three wards in the western suburbs continue to be a cause of concern for the BMC. Between August 11 and August 17, R Central ward (Borivali), R South (Kandivali) and K East ward (Andheri-Jogeshwari) added 1,091 new coronavirus cases to the city's tally.
With an increase of 429 new Covid-19 cases and 26 deaths in the last one week, R Central ward (Borivali) has the highest number of active cases. In the last one week, Kandivali and Andheri-Jogeshwari are two other wards which have recorded 363 and 299 new Covid-19 cases respectively.
BMC officials said that the hotspots in K East ward are highrises, not slums. There are a few cases emerging from slum areas. Currently, R Central has the highest number of active Covid-19 cases (1158), registering an average growth rate of infection by 1.27% also highest among 24 administrative wards of the city. Followed by R south ward which has 1,006 active cases with a growth rate of 0.96%.
The K East ward has 940 active cases and an average growth rate of 0.62%.
Among other wards, R Central has consistently had a higher daily growth rate and has the highest number of active cases, while R south is rapidly catching up with its neighbouring ward, R central, making them the only two wards with active cases above 1,000.
“Earlier we were getting 40-50 cases per day in Borivali and adjoining localities. Now, it is 80-100 cases daily. People are not following social distancing norms and other safety regulations. Eighty per cent of these cases are from residential areas," said a senior BMC official. He added that R South ward has started stabilising and extensive antigen testing is being done in the wards. "The number of cases in R south are fluctuating every week. We expect the number of cases will slide down soon."
The BMC is intensifying its containment strategies in western suburbs. The civic body is now concentrating on the line of treatment given to those tested positive to boost the recovery rate in these affected wards.
