Despite the alarming global COVID-19 surge, Mumbai saw the lowest number of coronavirus cases in December—211—since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Even the death toll, two, is also the lowest so far.  

Government agencies, nevertheless, are on their toes. The Union health ministry has made RT-PCR tests mandatory for passengers arriving in India from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand and Japan from the first day of the new year. Health infrastructure has also been put in place in view of a possible increase in cases.