Covid-19: Number of cases in Dharavi rises to 47, five deaths reported so far
Asia’s largest slum is home to nearly 7 lakh people who live in cramped lanes and poor hygienic conditions.
The number of coronavirus cases in Mumbai’s Dharavi slum has risen to 47 after four more people were found to be infected, PTI reported on Monday. One of the patients – a 60 year-old man – died on Sunday, taking the toll in the area to five.
Three new coronavirus cases were reported from Madina Nagar, Janata Cooperative Housing Society and Gulmohar chawl of Dharavi. Apart from that, the samples of a 60-year-old man from Nehru chawl, tested positive for Covid-19, the news agency reported, quoting an unidentified Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official. The civic body is now trying to trace the man’s contacts.
Officials are concerned that the highly-contagious Covid-19 could spread rapidly in Dharavi, where nearly 7 lakh people live in cramped lanes and in poor hygienic conditions. Civic officials had declared at least nine containment zones in Dharavi and had said that more such hotspots were being identified.
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As of Sunday evening, Mumbai had reported 1,399 cases of the coronavirus including 91 deaths, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. With 1,985 cases of coronavirus, Maharashtra is the worst-affected stated in India. More than 140 people have died of Covid-19 in the state.
On Saturday, Maharashtra became the third state after Odisha and Punjab to extend the lockdown to slow down the spread of coronavirus till April 30. Later, Telangana and West Bengal also extended statewide lockdowns.
The number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 9,152, including 308 deaths, by Monday morning. The number of patients has risen by 796 since Sunday morning and 35 new deaths have been confirmed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.