News Analysis India

Tag: Mumbai coronavirus

  • Maharashtra: Cinema halls, restaurants allowed to function at full capacity in 14 districts including Mumbai

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Easing pandemic-related restrictions, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday allowed shopping complexes, restaurants, cinema halls and theaters to operate at 100 per cent capacity in 14 out of 36 districts in the state, including Mumbai.

    These 14 districts are: Mumbai city, Mumbai suburban district, Pune, Bhandara, Sindhudurg, Nagpur, Raigad, Wardha, Ratnagiri, Satara, Sangli, Gondia, Chandrapur and Kolhapur.

    A government notification said that in these districts 90 per cent of the eligible population has taken at least one dose of anti-coronavirus vaccines, and over 70 per cent people are fully vaccinated.

    The positivity rate in these areas is less than 10 per cent and occupancy of oxygen-supported or ICU beds is less than 40 per cent.

    Social, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious, political and festival-linked events including those related to marriages and funerals and other gatherings and congregations are now permitted in these districts with attendance at 50 per cent of the capacity of the venue, the notification said.

    But if a gathering is expected to be of more than 1,000 persons, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will have to be informed and it may impose reasonable restrictions.

    For other districts, attendance at such events will be capped at 50 per cent of capacity or 200, whichever is less.

    “All shopping complexes, cinema halls, restaurants and bars, sports complexes, gyms, spas, swimming pools, religious places, drama theatres (`natyagrihas’), tourist places, entertainment parks etc are allowed to operate with 100 per cent capacity in these (14) districts,” the notification said.

    “For other administrative units (remaining 22 districts of the state) excluded from this list, these shall operate at 50 per cent of the capacity,” the notification added.

    Based on inputs of the state health department as well as the government’s COVID Task Force and considering the present pandemic sitution, the State Executive Committee (SEC) has decided to ease the norms, it added.

    There has been steady decline in new daily coronavirus cases in Maharashtra.

    On January 31, the state government had eased some restrictions.

    The January 31 guidelines had said that swimming pools, water-parks, theatres and restaurants can operate with 50 per cent capacity, subject to permission of the competent authority, in the districts of Mumbai, Pune, Bhandara, Sindhudurg, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Satara, Sangli, Gondia, Kolhapur and Chandrapur.

  • COVID-19: High-rises report more cases than slums in Mumbai

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: For the first time since the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic started, Asia’s largest slum Dharavi in Mumbai did not report a single case on Monday while localities with high concentration of high-rises are still reporting positive cases every day.According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), since May 31 Dharavi has seen a daily count of one to three fresh infections. Three new cases were reported in Dadar and six in Mahim.

    Both these areas, which have a number of high-rises and tall towers, as well as Dharavi, come under BMC’s G-North civic ward.In G-North, there are a total of 300 active cases that include 152 cases in Dadar, 135 in Mahim and only 13 in Dharavi.Since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, the ward has reported a total of 26,294 hospital admissions for Covid treatment of which 25,249 are discharged. Of these, 9,557 are from Dadar and 9,876 from Mahim and 6,861 from Dharavi.

    The numbers clearly show that the spread of the infection was more in high-rise buildings than slums. Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner, G-North, said the Mumbai Model and Dharavi model to defeat the Covid-19 are hailed for their efficient working, with the BMC focusing on people’s participation to defeat the virus.

    “During the first wave also, people told us Dharavi is sitting on a powder keg in terms of explosion of cases. It was a hotspot in the beginning but using the ‘track, test and treat’ formula helped reduce not only the positivity rate, also the mortality rate. We took support of local NGOs and social workers,” the official said.

    Dighavkar said in Dharavi, the local health posts are very strong. “Our health workers reached out to every slum and checked them before the situation went out of hand. We created a data bank of 10 lakh people and provided treatment as per requirements. We developed a jumbo Covid-19 centre to treat the patients.”

    WATCH | COVID-19: High-rises report more cases than slums in Mumbai

  • With weekend lockdown and night curfew back in Mumbai, auto drivers ride back home to UP

    By Express News Service
    BHOPAL: The worsening COVID-19 second wave and fears of total lockdown in Mumbai have seen many autorickshaw drivers and migrant workers leaving the city and heading to their home state of Uttar Pradesh.

    On Saturday morning, a clutch of autorickshaws boarded by autorickshaw drivers and migrant workers who were all returning to UP were seen in Dhar district of MP.

    The Maharashtra registration numbered autorickshaws on the way to UP from Mumbai were spotted on NH-59 in Dhar district — around 50 km from Indore. Two of those autorickshaws were bound for Farukhabad district.

    ALSO READ | IIT-Indore study reveals presence of 5,600 mutations of coronavirus surface proteins in world

    “We’re returning home, as there is already weekend lockdown and night curfew in Mumbai and we fear it could turn into complete lockdown in the days to come. There is no business and income for us in Mumbai anymore, which is why myself and others from Farrukhabad district of UP, who are related to me are returning home,” said Jan Mohammad, who drives an autorickshaw owned by a relative seen returning home in the same autorickshaw.

    Following Jan Mohammad in another autorickshaw was fellow autorickshaw driver Noor Alam, who resides in the same Meera Road-Bhayandar area of Mumbai.

    “We’ve been left with no income owing to the weekend lockdown and fearing a possible complete lockdown like last year, we’d have no option, but to return to our native Farrukhabad district in UP. We’ll help our family in harvesting the sugarcane crop in Farrukhabad and even run the autorickshaw there to earn income, till the situation becomes normal in Mumbai,” Noor Alam.

    Some others from their village in Farrukhabad said that many more autorickshaws and migrant workers have left for their home state UP in autorickshaws and the numbers of those returning are likely to rise in the coming days.

    The free ride for these autorickshaw drivers also exposed the tall claims of the MP government of having sealed the MP-Maharashtra border for passenger vehicles in the wake of the COVID-19 second wave surge in Maharashtra 

  • Maharashtra curfew: What services will remain open and what will be closed?

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: In view of exploding COVID-19 cases, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray called an urgent cabinet meeting on Sunday where it was decided to impose stringent measures like shutting private offices, hotels, markets and other places where people are likely to gather. However, commercial establishments and industries will be allowed to operate during the period.

    Uddhav Thackeray was in favour of imposing another lockdown, but his cabinet colleague opposed saying that a second lockdown will cripple the state’s economy further. Therefore, rather than a complete lockdown, the focus was given on night curfew and implementation of Section 144 to stop people from forming crowds. People will not be allowed to go out without any proper reason or work.

    READ HERE | Maharashtra sees highest 57,074 COVID-19 cases in day; 222 die

    In the cabinet meeting, it was decided that the measures taken will come into effect from April 5, Monday to April 30.  “We want to contain the spread of the virus while at the same time, these measures taken by the government should not impact the economy and livelihood of the people. It was the unanimous decision by all three ruling parties Shiv Sena, Congress and the NCP. Besides, the Opposition BJP and MNS leader Raj Thackeray were also consulted before making this announcement,” said NCP minister Nawab Malik.

    The agriculture activities will continue as it is while restrictions will be imposed on the number of passengers allowed in both public and private transport. Only one passenger will be allowed to travel in an auto. Besides, the commercial activities like the banks, share market, insurance etc will remain open during this period.

    READ HERE | COVID-19 second wave: Maharashtra, Punjab reporting highest daily cases and deaths, say data

    The public places like gardens, beaches etc will remain closed from 8.00 pm to 7.00 am. “If it is noticed that people are crowding in these public places and rules are not followed, the concerned local authorities can shut down them,” stated in the order.

    What will remain open

    Essential services and utilities like hospitals, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, local disaster management, electricity and water supply offices, financial institutions like banks, insurance companies will remain functional. 
    RTPCR test of workers mandatory are mandatory 
    Government offices will work with 50 per cent staffers 
    Beaches and garden will open during day time 
    Buses will operate, printing and distribution of newspapers allowed to resume
    What will be shut

    Hotels, restaurants, malls, bars closed. Only take away and parcel service will be available. 
    Private offices, saloons, spas, cinema theatres, entertainment and recreation areas will be closed. Cinemas, multiplexes, theatres, video parlours, clubs, swimming pools, sports complexes, auditoriums, water parks will be completely closed. 
    Places of worship closed to visitors 
    Ecommerce service will continue 

  • Half of Covid patients in Maharashtra under-40, only 18% elderly positive

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: Apart from the massive spike in daily cases, another reason to worry for Maharashtra is that more children and youth are getting infected with Covid-19 during the second wave.  There is a silver lining, though. The death rate in under-45 population during the January-March period was only 5 per cent. According to the state public health department’s data, 88,827 children up to 10 years of age had tested positive across the state in the three-month period.

    ALSO READ | Second Covid wave fast-n-furious, 10 states fighting infection explosion

    The total percentage of children and youth (up to 40 years) infected was around 48 while the percentage of senior citizens (above 60) testing positive was 18 per cent. Hence, the state has been pressing for including all age-groups in the vaccination coverage. 

    The mortality rate of 1.92 per cent in Maharashtra is higher than the country’s average of 1.33 per cent.  Dr Avinash Supe, member of the state’s health task force, said children and youths are getting infected in larger number because they are not following Covid-appropriate behaviour. He said that from January to March-end, 800 deaths took place due to Covid in Mumbai and adjoining areas of which only five per cent were below the age of 45 while the remaining were senior citizens and co-morbid patients. 

    READ HERE | Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray warns of shortage of health facilities, says lockdown can not be ruled out

    “Nevertheless, people should take care, use mask, maintain social distancing and wash and sanitise their hands regularly,” said Dr Supe. State Congress president Nana Patole demanded that all persons above 18 years of age should be vaccinated to reduce further spread of the disease. “The youth have to come out of their homes for the purpose of livelihood. So, it is the responsibility of the Centre to vaccinate them. If this age-group is vaccinated, the chain of the virus will be also broken easily,” Patole said.

    He also criticised the central government over vaccine export. “We are facing a shortage of vaccine in India, but the Modi government is offering vaccine to Pakistan, that too free of cost. We Indians should be vaccinated first before others are given,” Patole said.

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