In a changing trend in the rise in COVID-19 cases over the past month, other areas of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) have seen a sharp increase in numbers (cases and deaths), while the growth rate in Mumbai has slowed down. From May 23 to June 22, Mumbai saw a two-fold increase in cases and four-fold rise in deaths, but in the rest of MMR, the same increased four-fold and eight-fold, respectively.

In the first two months of the lockdown, these areas had reported comparatively lesser number of cases. The MMR includes Mumbai, parts of Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts. The area has eight municipal corporations – Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Navi Mumbai, Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Vasai-Virar and Mira-Bhayandar, and nine municipal councils along with more than a 1,000 villages in Thane and Raigad districts. As per the 2011 census, Mumbai has a population of 1.24 crore, while 74.38 lakh people live in the areas under the eight municipal corporations. The remaining part of MMR has a population of around 25 lakh.