19 May,2025 08:47 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
In view of the rising number of Covid-19 patients in Singapore and Hong Kong, the BMC has made arrangements for the treatment of patients, such as earmarking special beds and rooms for them in municipal hospitals. Representational pic
Amid concerns of a possible Covid-19 outbreak, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday released a statement and appealed that there is no need for panic, reported news agency PTI.
"The Health Department of the BMC is constantly monitoring the spread of COVID-19. From January 2025 to April 2025, the number of COVID-19 patients has been found to be very low. But since the beginning of May, there have been some cases of COVID-19. However, the BMC administration is appealing to citizens not to panic in this regard," the statement read.
It also clarified that the deaths of two patients in the civic-run King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, Parel, were owing to comorbidities.
"The hospital authorities have clarified that the deaths of the woman and the 14-year-old occurred owing to serious diseases such as nephrotic syndrome with hypocalcemic seizures and cancer," the BMC statement further highlighted.
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The Mumbai civic body further stated that Covid-19 is now considered to be endemic and an ongoing health problem and very few cases of the infection have been found and that too sporadically.
The statement also pointed out that the two patients were from Sindhudurg and Thane district's Dombivli city and were not residents of Mumbai.
Meanwhile, in view of the rising number of Covid-19 patients in Singapore, Hong Kong, and some other countries of East Asia, the BMC has made arrangements for the treatment of patients, such as earmarking special beds and rooms for them in municipal hospitals in Mumbai.
If necessary, this capacity will be increased immediately, the civic body statement added.
Later in the day, health authorities in India said they are monitoring the surge in the case count in Singapore and Hong Kong and that the current Covid-19 situation in the country was under control.
A review meeting of experts from the National Centre for Disease Control, Emergency Medical Relief division, Disaster Management Cell, Indian Council of Medical Research and Central government hospitals was held on Monday under the chairpersonship of the director general of health services, reported PTI.
"The meeting concluded that the current Covid-19 situation in India remains under control. As of May 19, 2025, the number of active COVID-19 cases in India stands at 257, a very low figure considering the country's large population. Almost all of these cases are mild, with no hospitalization required," an official source said, adding that the country has a robust system for surveillance of viral respiratory illnesses, including Covid-19, through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Hospitals have been asked to monitor influenza-like illnesses and severe acute respiratory infection cases.
(With PTI inputs)
