Over two weeks after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a circular asking private hospitals across the city to not admit walk-in COVID-19 patients without the permission of the local ward war rooms, the number of such patients in hospitals have reduced to less than 10 per cent, claimed the civic body. Of the total 9,551 patients admitted in 141 hospitals, only 874 are walk-ins.

A civic official said that the walk-in patients were occupying hospital beds meant for those who are symptomatic and needy. However, the official said that the direction given to hospitals was yielding results.