The Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued fresh guidelines on Thursday amid rising positive cases of COVID-19 in Mumbai. Iqbal Singh Chahal, BMC Commissioner, held a marathon meeting on Thursday with all ward municipal commissioners, deputy commissioners, chief officers among others and directed to adhere strict action against violators for not wearing facemask. In the said meeting civic commissioner has asked to register cases against people under the Epidemic Act for violating the Covid protocol.
According to the fresh norms, in a residential building if five and more people are tested COVID-19 positive the said building will be sealed. Those who are asymptomatic and asked to remain home quarantine, the ward war room will keep strict watch on such patients. The ward war room officials will make five to six phone calls daily to those who have instructed to remain home quarantine in order to check if they are at home or not. Also strict action will be taken on people for not wearing mask in gardens, malls, shopping complex and public places among others.
Travelers coming from Brazil will be compulsory quarantined. In all BMC schools, hospitals, offices, teachers will be assigned the task to initiate action and impose fine for not wearing mask.
Also, BMC commissioner has directed every ward to conduct raids at places where wedding ceremonies, parties have been organised. Those violating COVID rules will be fined and action will be initiated under epidemic act.
Besides, BMC will hire 100 marshals on each railway route --western, central, harbour to fine people for not wearing face mask. Also additional marshals will be appointed to keep an eye on people across the city. At present , BMC have 2,400 marshals in city which will be doubled to 4,800.
People who are found wandering for no valid reason, BMC has now empowered Mumbai Police to take fine from such people besides initiating appropriate action.
BMC will also start mission zero initiative where more new cases are identified. Civic wards will be tasked to conduct area mapping and increase testing. At least 15 high risk contacts will be tested to control the situation.
To prevent spread of COVID in slum areas, COVID-19 testing drive should be held and mobile medical vans should be made available on larger scale. In all private and government hospitals covid dashboard should be updated disclosing details about number of patients, available beds, deaths, etc at every one hour. In every ward, one centre for asymptomatic patients and one centre for non- symptomatic patients should be made available.
