In preparation for the central government's prediction of a possible surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in Mumbai this month, the civic body is now planning to convert large open spaces including JIO gardens in BKC and Wankhede Stadium into COVID care centres and quarantine facilities. The civic body is also planning to increase the capacity of the quarantine centres at NESCO exhibition centre in Goregaon and NSCI and they have approached two builders to help construct amenities like toilets.

Senior civic officials said that while the central government's prediction is unlikely to come true, the BMC wants to be prepared for the possibility. One senior civic officials said that during a meeting of the COVID 19 task force committee on Friday, the idea of considering large open spaces was discussed. "We are already working on converting civic-run, aided and some private schools into quarantine centres. But if there is a spike in the number of cases in the coming weeks, we will need a higher capacity. We are considering 3-4 large open spaces and a team will visit each of the spaces to survey the area," said a senior civic official.