Coronavirus in Mumbai: Two more, including doctor with no travel history, test positive for COVID-19 in Dharavi

Coronavirus in Mumbai: Two more, including doctor with no travel history, test positive for COVID-19 in Dharavi

With that, 88 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the state on Thursday, taking the total number to 423 in Maharashtra.

Dipti SinghUpdated: Friday, April 03, 2020, 08:21 AM IST
article-image
Mumbai coronavirus | (Photo by Indranil MUKHERJEE / AFP)

Mumbai: Just a day after a 56-yearold Dharavi resident, who had contracted coronavirus, passed away, two more positive cases have heightened concern in the area. A 54-year-old BMC sweeper working in Dharavi and a 35-year-old doctor with no travel history tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday.

With that, 88 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the state on Thursday, taking the total number to 423 in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 21, with four deaths being recorded in Mumbai and one in Pune.

While 23 co-workers and the family of the sweeper have been placed under home quarantine, the area around his residence in Worli has been sealed by the BMC. The building where the general practitioner (GP) lives, too, was sealed late Thursday night after he himself informed the civic body of his symptoms.

The conservancy worker, a resident of Jijamata Nagar Chawl in Worli, was assigned duties on the Mahim Fatak road in Dharavi. As per the medical officer of the health department in G (North) ward (Dharavi, Mahim), the patient is attached to the Solid Waste Management Department of the BMC.

The man was on duty in Dharavi until Monday, when he developed symptoms. He was immediately relieved of duty and his test reports revealed on Thursday that he had contracted coronavirus. He has now been admitted at Seven Hills hospital.

"He developed symptoms around three to four days ago, following which he was quarantined at Seven Hills Hospital in Andheri on Monday, where he tested positive on Thursday. After tracing his residential address, we have informed the G (South) ward to trace his contacts there.

Meanwhile, in the case of the GP, the process of contact tracing in Dharavi and nearby areas is on. We have taken the doctor to S L Raheja hospital in Mahim," said Kiran Dighavkar Assistant Municipal Commissioner of G (North) ward.

"We do not know if the sweeper contracted the virus in Worli or Dharavi. Since the first Dharavi patient tested positive a week after he developed symptoms, it is highly possible that the sweeper and doctor both contracted it in Dharavi. However, the doctor has informed us that he might have contracted the virus while treating a few patients.

" Dighavkar told The Free Press Journal. When contacted, Sharad Ughade, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of G (North) ward, told The Free Press Journal, "We have traced the house of the man at Jijamata Nagar Chawl.

His family has been kept in home quarantine, while the area has been sealed and declared a containment zone. We are now tracing his close contacts and the process of spraying disinfection will follow. "After Worli-Koliwada and Janata Nagar, this will be the third slum locality to be sealed in Worli.

Meanwhile, after a 56-year-old man from Dharavi died on Wednesday at the civic-run Sion Hospital, around 300 tenements and around 91 shops in the SRA building he lived in were cordoned off and sealed by the police. The deceased owned a garment shop at AKG Nagar in Dharavi. The process of sealing the premises, however, angered the residents, who started arguing with the police.

The police faced stone-pelting as they tried to disperse a crowd that had gathered in the area after learning about the man’s death, a BMC official said. "A group of people started arguing with policemen and some of them started throwing stones. Nobody was injured in the incident. The police have registered a case against unidentified persons," said a BMC official.

RECENT STORIES

Mumbai-Pune Expressway: Massive Traffic Congestion, Intense Heat Pose Challenges To Motorists...

Mumbai-Pune Expressway: Massive Traffic Congestion, Intense Heat Pose Challenges To Motorists...

Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 6 Seats Of NCP In Mahayuti Alliance Come With 'Terms &...

Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 6 Seats Of NCP In Mahayuti Alliance Come With 'Terms &...

Mumbai News: MSRDC Announces Toll Hike On Bandra-Worli Sea Link From April 1; Check New Rates Here

Mumbai News: MSRDC Announces Toll Hike On Bandra-Worli Sea Link From April 1; Check New Rates Here

Attention Mumbaikars! Fares Of Shared Cabs To Pune, Nashik & Shirdi Hiked; Check Details Here

Attention Mumbaikars! Fares Of Shared Cabs To Pune, Nashik & Shirdi Hiked; Check Details Here

Mumbai: Sena UBT Lok Sabha Candidate Amol Kirtikar Receives 2nd ED Summon In Khichdi Scam Case; Told...

Mumbai: Sena UBT Lok Sabha Candidate Amol Kirtikar Receives 2nd ED Summon In Khichdi Scam Case; Told...