COVID-19 in Mumbai: H west ward continues to be worst hit

With no respite from the rise in COVID-19 cases, H (west) ward, which comprises Bandra, Khar and Santacruz, continues to be the worst hit wards in the city. Known for its active Area Locality Management (ALMs) and celebrity quotient, H (west) ward has been reporting around 300 to 500 cases daily.

While the overall average growth rate of COVID-19 cases in the city stands at 1.71 per cent, in H (west) ward, it stands at 2.25 per cent, the highest among all the 24 administrative wards. The ward has been actively involving citizens in the containment measures planned. However, the growth rate continues to surge. The ward authorities have attributed it to active and increased COVID-19 testing. "There is a massive spike in the number of cases. it is very difficult to conclude how and when people are getting infected. However, we have focussed on more testing. People in this ward are very active and aware. Hence, they have been testing themselves. The ratio of index cases is 1:10 in H (west) ward. However, we don't have any cluster cases. As is the trend across the city, even H (west) ward buildings and high rises have more number of cases," said Vinayak Vispute, assistant municipal commissioner of H (west) ward.

As of April 13, H (west) ward has a cumulative case count of 21,521 and a cumulative death toll of 346. The active caseload of the ward currently stands at 4,048. The ward also has the lowest case doubling rate as compared to other administrative wards in the city. The doubling rate of the ward has declined to just 31 days, which is another worrying trend. The overall doubling rate of Mumbai currently stands at 40 days.

Vispute added, "We have started giving letters to all the housing societies and asked them to keep a tab on visitors, purpose of visit and where they are coming from. We have also asked the societies to keep all the details of maids and drivers employed in their premises. They must ensure they are tested for COVID-19 every 15 days and their test reports must be kept. We have formed teams of civic officials, who randomly visit societies in the ward and check this information. Another step we are religiously following is increasing the number of beds and acquiring as many small hospitals as possible."