Covid-19: No need to panic; gradual decline in coronavirus cases in Mumbai

Covid-19 infections in Mumbai have slumped from 20,000 just ten days ago to 7,000 on Tuesday, and there is no need to panic, BMC, the civic body, informed the Bombay high court on Wednesday.

“Although the number of positive cases were rising between January 6 and 9, there has been a gradual decline thereafter,” the court was informed by the BMC. The number of positive cases got reduced to 7,000 on January 18.”

According to the civic body, of the 84,352 active covid-19 cases on January 15, seven per cent of patients were hospitalised, three per cent were on oxygen beds, one per cent on ICU and 0.7 per cent on ventilators.

The BMC has taken adequate measures relating to vaccination, hospital beds, ambulance services and oxygen supplies, the court was told.

Authorities will now have to file an updated report on the Covid-19 situation till January 25, and the court will take up the matter two days later.

Rajesh Tope, the state’s health minister, told reporters that Covid-19 cases were declining, and the pandemic was under control. “The Covid-19 tally which was earlier increasing has now stabilised,” he said. “Hospitalisations are less in number. As many as 87% infected patients are under home isolation.”

The minister said the government would consider the demand for reopening schools, especially as there is a low incidence of Covid-19 among children. “Demand is rising from certain quarters for reopening of schools as children are suffering because of loss of education,” said Tope. Schools and colleges in the state have been closed till February 15.

According to government officials, Mumbai and some neighbouring districts, which reported a surge earlier, have seen a decline in cases. They claim that the pandemic is stabilising and do not foresee a spike over the coming days.