The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) sealed Badrinath, near Khar Gymkhana, after seven residents tested positive for Covid-19 on the fourth and eighth floor. All the eligible members of the families, including those who tested positive, were fully vaccinated. The 17-storeyed building houses 52 families at present.
According to the BMC policy, residential buildings reporting more than five cases will be sealed and declared as a micro containment zone (MCZ). If less than five cases are detected, floors will be sealed. "We have sealed the building as a precautionary measure. Residents are being tested in a phased manner," said a senior BMC official.
Many residents have a travel history. “Our officials are in touch with the management of the building and are monitoring the situation closely," the official added. With cases on a rise, the BMC has begun organising testing camps in buildings.
A resident of the building maintained that security guards, drivers and housekeeping staff who visit the building regularly are fully vaccinated. "Even when the pandemic was at its peak, our building reported only three to four cases. This is the first time it has reported cluster cases," the resident said.
Alka Kerkar, a BJP corporator, said that a member from each of the infected families displayed flu-like symptoms. Others reported about a loss of smell and taste. "After realising that the symptoms are similar to that of Covid-19, all the members underwent the RT-PCR test. Their reports were positive," Kerkar said. All the residents are in a stable condition and have mild to minimal symptoms.
Meanwhile, the number of active sealed buildings and sealed floors have risen in the past two weeks. At present, there are 1,708 buildings with sealed floors. 52 buildings are entirely sealed. "The number of cluster cases reported is very less compared to how it was in the first and second wave," said Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner and in-charge of public health in the BMC.
