While the BMC claims that the doubling rate of cases has improved from 10 days to 13 days, the numbers are yet to show a downward trend.
Health workers conduct thermal reading and oximeter check-ups near Kurla Garden on Friday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
With the number of COVID-19 positive cases sharply increasing with each passing day, the city recorded 933 fresh cases on Friday taking the total to 17,512. Almost two-thirds of the 34 deaths recorded the same day were below the age of 60 years. In its efforts to tackle the COVID-19 situation in the city better, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has increased the number of beds in hospitals and quarantine centres. Apart from this, even BEST and MSRTC buses have been deployed to ferry patients.
While the BMC claims that the doubling rate of cases has improved from 10 days to 13 days, the numbers are yet to show a downward trend. Of the 933 cases reported on Friday, 234 patients had tested positive on May 12 and 13. On Thursday, a total of 998 cases and 25 deaths were reported.
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The state reported a total of 1,576 patients on Friday, 60 per cent of which is from Mumbai. The number of cases in Maharashtra crossed 29,000 with 49 deaths reported on a single day. Out of the 49 deaths, 32 patients had high-risk co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease etc.
The city has been facing a number of issues in terms of availability of ambulances. Hence, the BMC decided to deploy BEST buses and vehicles provided by the transport commissioner for ferrying asymptomatic and mild COVID patients. A BMC official said that each of these vehicles would be provided with a week's supply of PPE for the driver and helpers. Till Friday, 70 BEST buses and 15 MSRTC buses have been deployed for the purpose. Apart from it, the BMC has hired 20 more ambulances.
On April 15, the total number of beds in civic hospitals was 1,960. This has been increased to 3,540. A BMC official said that the civic body plans to increase the number of beds to 5,800 and along with those in private hospitals, there would soon be about 10,000 beds.
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