COVID-19 in Mumbai: Targeted testing finds fewer positive cases

Less crowd seen at the Dadar flower market. File pic

The BMC has been conducting targeted COVID-19 tests over the past week in view of a likely second wave of the infection but officials said that the number of positive cases among those who have been tested was low. The BMC has been focusing mainly on hawkers, shopkeepers, bus drivers and civic staff, who come in contact with a lot of people.

Apart from testing hawkers, officials from the civic health department conducted testing camps at municipal markets and six wards of the city, and the number of positive cases were fewer than 10 in each area. In the G North ward, which includes Dharavi and Dadar Flower Market, out of 523 hawkers and shopkeepers who were tested only nine tested positive. In areas like Bazaar Gully and Khar Market in H West ward, out of 340 tests, nine were positive. Medical health officials of various wards said that the positivity rate among them has been lower than expected.

Similarly, in L ward (Kurla), out of 1,105 people who were tested over five days, nine tested positive and at G South (Worli), out of 570 tests, only three were positive. At R North (Dahisar), none of the 464 hawkers and shopkeepers tested positive.

Civic official Subhash Dalvi, who has been overseeing the tests and camps said, "As a proactive measure, we are testing groups of people who are coming in contact with the public. Testing camps were held for the Mumbai Police as well, and around 30,000 officers across all zones were tested last month. We are covering the municipal markets and BEST and MSRTC bus depots." Dalvi added that camps had been organised for around 5,500 MSRTC staff.

Also Read: Mumbai's total count grows by over 1,000 COVID-19 cases

Apart from market areas, tests are also being conducted at various BEST depots and about 1,000 staffers have been tested, of which five turned out to be positive. Dr Anil Kumar Singhal, chief medical officer of BEST said that they were ensuring that other preventive measures were adopted.

"We have been distributing vitamin C and D tablets on a daily basis to all the 34,000 staffers. We are also conducting regular lectures on boosting immunity. The testing camps are taking place a couple of times a week," he said. Dr Singhal added that since March, 2,802 BEST staff have tested positive for COVID-19 and 52 of them succumbed to the infection.

30k
No. of cops tested last month

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