With COVID-19 cases once again surging under the G North ward (Dharavi, Mahim and Dadar), BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) sees vaccinating maximum residents as one of few options available, besides testing and isolation, to curb the spread of the virus. With just over 400 Dharavi residents vaccinated in the past four days as against the daily target of 500, the civic body, on Thursday, began an awareness campaign and conducted street plays, went door to door and urged people to get vaccinated through posters and pamphlets printed in Urdu, Telugu, Tamil and Hindi, given the mixed population in the area.
Dharavi recorded 58 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday. Mahim and Dadar recorded 75 and 47 new cases, respectively. The total active cases in Dharavi has risen to 285. Whereas the active cases in Mahim and Dadar has increased to 537 and 428, respectively. Almost a month ago, the total active cases in Dharavi stood at 51.
Civic officials are hoping for a better footfall in the coming days for the COVID-19 vaccination drive. "If required, buses would also be sent to the locality to bring senior citizens and those with comorbidities to the vaccination centre located at the urban health centre in Dharavi. NGOs and corporators have also been roped in to assist the civic body in creating awareness," said a BMC official.
Meanwhile, the civic body has yet again written to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and sought to set up a quarantine centre at the Mahim Nature Park premises. Vanmali Hall has 100 beds to house mild and asymptomatic cases. The Mahim Nature Park will start with 200 beds, which can be scaled up to 1,200 beds, said a civic official from the ward.
