Mumbai will be unlocked by end of February, says mayor Kishori Pednekar
As Covid cases have started witnessing a decline in Mumbai, Mayor Kishori Pednekar said that the city will be unlocked by the end of this month.
In what could be described as good news for Mumbaikars, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to lift Covid-19 restrictions and unlock the city by the end of this month. This comes as the city has been reporting a steady decline in the number of Covid-19 cases for the past several days now.
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar was quoted by ANI as saying, "There is good news for Mumbaikars. Mumbai will be unlocked by the end of this month. We have made up our minds, but it is essential for the people to wear masks and observe social distancing." (sic).
There is good news for Mumbaikars. Mumbai will be unlocked by the end of this month. We have made up our minds, but it is essential for the people to wear masks and observe social distancing: Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar#Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/YVekcJcqUY — ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2022
On Monday, Mumbai reported 356 new Covid cases, the lowest daily rise since December 21, 2021, and five deaths. On Sunday, Mumbai reported 536 COVID-19 cases and three deaths due to the infection. The city civic body officials said that Thane also reported a dip in Covid cases and the infection tally dropped to two digits (50) after around 41 days.
Notably, Mumbai registered a steep rise in daily Covid infections during the third wave of the pandemic and the cases have dropped significantly over the past week, the BMC data shows.
Daily Covid cases dropped in Feb
According to a report published in the Times of India (TOI), officials have attributed the drop in cases to the 'weekend', with fewer than usual tests conducted on the weekend. The BMC data shows that on Sunday 29,863 samples were tested as against the usual 40,000 plus in Mumbai.
In February, the daily tally of Covid cases saw a decline in Mumbai. Except for February 2, when the city logged 1,121 Covid cases and ten deaths, the tally on remaining days has been under 900.
Dr Shasshank Joshi, a member of the state's task force, told TOI that the Omicron variant has been less severe though more contagious. Joshi also added that almost 95 per cent of people are fully vaccinated in the city and most of them have been exposed to the virus, adding that Covid cases will drop lower soon.
Adding a cautionary note, he urged people to remain vigilant because of crowding and poor ventilation, asking them to wear a mask for a few more months.
No containment zones in Mumbai
The BMC data shows that Mumbai is now free of containment zones in slums and chawls, only one building remains sealed to check the spread of infection. The BMC said only 40 patients were hospitalised in the last 24 hours and 10 are on oxygen support.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra clocked 6,436 Covid infections and 24 deaths, the lowest one-day tally recorded since last December. Active cases in the state dropped to 1 lakh on Monday. Mumbai has 5,139 active Covid cases at present.
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