The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday issued a modified protocol for sealing of buildings where multiple patients affected with covid19 . According to the modified protocol, the whole building or a wing of the building complex/ society shall be sealed if more than 20% of the occupied number of flats in the building or a wing of the building complex/society is affected with covid-19 patients, BMC stated in the circular.

As per to the earlier protocol, a whole building is sealed if there are 10 or more cases from the same building or if the above cases are from two or more floors. And Part of the building like wing/floor is sealed if in a building single/bulk cases are found in a single home or floor. However, the final call is taken by the respective Assistant Commissioner/ Medical officer of Health (MOH) whether sealing of floor/wing is not sufficient then, the whole building can be sealed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 positive cases.

"With the continuous threat of rising cases of covid-19 in the city of Mumbai in the past few days and detection of a Variant of Concern (VoC) omicron suggesting and increase in transmissibility earlier guidelines issued on March 3, 2021, for sealed building stand revised. The modified guidelines will come into effect from January 4, 2022," the BMC's circular stated.

Care to be taken by the residents

*The patient and contacts shall strictly follow the current guidelines of home isolation and hygiene etiquette while in-home Quarantine

*The patient shall be isolated for at least 10 days from onset of symptoms/testing (in case of asymptomatic patients) and no fever for continuous 3 days.

*High-risk contacts shall be home quarantined for seven days. They shall be tested on the 5th to 7th day or immediately if they turn symptomatic and further protocols shall be followed based on their test results.

*Due Care shall be taken by the building managing committee to ensure supplies of food, medicines and essentials to the families in Quarantine.

*Cooperation should be given to medical officers of health and ward war room staff to implement the existing COVID-19 protocols and containment guidelines.

*The de-sealing decision of the building/wing will be taken at the respective ward level.

*In case of any symptoms queries please call the wall war room for any information or assistance in shifting of patients to COVID-19 facilities hospitals.

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