Mumbai: While all the major parts of Mumbai showing improvements in containing the spread of the dreaded virus, there has been a spike in the number of cases in the areas such as Matunga, Sion, Wadala and Antop Hill.
These areas fall under F North ward and in a recent data issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stated that the doubling rate of all the major wards in the city has increased by at least five days, however, in F North ward the rate of doubling has fallen by 12 days.
F North has 590 active cases and total 3004 cases have been reported from this ward till date.
On June 24, F North had a doubling rate of 91 days, however, as per the latest records of July 10, the doubling rate of these areas stood at 79 days. F North was one of the two wards which touched an average doubling rate of 100 days on the last week of June. The average rate of increase in patients has also increased to 0.8 per cent from its earlier 0.9 per cent.
"On an average, there are 30-35 cases coming out from the wards daily. There has been neither a spike nor a sharp fall in the numbers over the past few weeks, we are at the same place, that's why the rate of doubling has fallen slightly" Gajanan Bellale, F North ward officer told FPJ.
"Now more cases are coming from high rises, at the same time cases are coming from slums as well," stated the ward officer.
BMC Leader of Opposition and Congress corporator of F North ward Ravi Raja said that there has been an increase in testing.
"With state allowing people to get their tests done, now more and more people are getting tested voluntarily, due to which there will be an increase in the number of cases," Raja told FPJ.
"Also, the spread intensified during the unlocking phase as people started to go out and the business sector and transport resume," added the opposition leader.
During the months of April-May, there was a severe spike in the number of cases and F North became a hotbed in the city. Most of the cases started were reported from the congested slum areas of Wadala and Antop hill.
"During the period of April and May, we did door-to-door testing and aggressive testing to contain the spread. Cases were reported in large numbers from the congested localities and slum areas," stated BJP corporator Nehal Shah.
"Following the aggressive testing, the number of cases came down and we were able to contain the spread, however, during the last one month as the state government relaxed the lockdown norms, people started to come out from their houses, thus there has been a spread," stated Shah.
Since the government has launched its 'Mission Begin Again' campaign, a number of cases started to come out from residential buildings and high rises, wherein earlier cases used to come out only from slums.
"Since the locals resumed people started to travel out this has led to an increase in the spread of the virus," stated the BJP corporator.
