Mumbai: The P North (PN) ward, comprising of Malad area, had remained the ward with highest number of Covid-19 cases for the last one month. But recently, there has been a shuffle in the list as the number of active cases in this ward has dipped in the last one week.
Presently PN ward has 1033 active cases, which is the fifth highest in the city. At present R South ward, which comprises of Kandivli and Charkop area, has 1379 active cases, the highest in the city followed by G North ward (Dharavi) which has 1346 cases and R Central ward (Borivli) with 1266 cases and K Eeast ward (Andheri East) which has 1259 active cases.
BMC officials stated that it is due to the aggressive testing conducted by the ward.
Following the phased unlocking in the state, the civic body initiated 'Chase the Virus' program which was aimed at initiating door-to-door testing.
"The BMC is testing aggressively for the last two months. The rapid increase in tests have also led us to do fast-paced contact tracing, due to which we are able to identify the high-risk contacts and identify them at the earliest," Deputy Municipal Commissioner (DMC), zone seven, Vishwas Shankarwar told FPJ.
A BMC health official of the PN ward stated that the number in this ward had risen especially after the government allowed Covid tests could be done without any prescription.
"The increase in tests allowed us to identify the numbers, which is why the BMC was able to provide time-wise treatment," stated the official.
With cases now rising in Borivli and Kandivli areas of R South and R Central wards, the ward officials have started to go back in sealing entire building mode. In a recent circular, the civic body had also stated that a building will be sealed entirely if more than three cases are reported from it.
"Keeping the high-risk contacts in home quarantine has become difficult for both doctors and the BMC as people start roaming around their society premises despite knowing they are high-risk contacts, which causes spread of the virus," Assistant Municipal Commissioner and Ward Officer - R central (C), Bhagyashree Kapse told FPJ.
"To contain the spread, we have adapted tight norms, thus we will be sealing the residential buildings entirely henceforth to contain spread at the earliest," Kapse added.
