The doubling rate in Mumbai has declined to 53 days in the last one week. According to the data presented by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai presently has a doubling period of 53 days. On March 21, the city had recorded a doubling period of 103 days.
This is for the first time since October last year, the doubling period of Mumbai has fallen below the 100-day mark. The average doubling period in Mumbai, the ward-wise doubling period has also declined drastically in the past one week.
Almost all the 24 municipal wards has maintained a doubling period of more than 100 days till the middle of March, meanwhile in the past one week only one ward has a doubling rate which is more than 100 days.
Senior civic officials meanwhile have said that there's nothing to panic.
"The vaccination process is underway at full speed and in last week we were able to achieve our target of vaccinating around 10 lakh beneficiaries," said senior BMC officials.
"We still have 30-40 percent of the hospital beds empty and the we are working towards expanding the beds in almost all the BMC run facilities and private hospital so there is absolutely no reason to panic while at the same time, citizens should not let their guard down and continue to adhere by COVID appropriate behaviour," the official added.
Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner and in-charge of public health in Mumbai, however said that Mumbai is functioning like any other normal working city hence the rise in number of cases will not come down suddenly.
"We have focused towards getting more tests done and have also ramped up the daily number of tests, that are being done, this is helping us in earlier detection and will help us faster tracing of contacts as well," Kakani said.
Furthermore, he also said by middle of this week, more Covid-19 beds will be activated in multiple jumbo centres and COVID care facilities of Mumbai.
Meanwhile, the B ward of the municipal body which covers the Dongri, Sandhurst Road and Bhindi Bazar areas presently has the lowest infection rate and highest doubling period of the city. Eversince the pandemic broke out last year, B ward have maintained the lowest infection rate in entire Mumbai.
"This ward has a low residential population and the floating population of this ward is very high, which is why the infection rate in this ward is comparatively slower than other wards of Mumbai," said a senior official of this ward.
