The city recorded 132 new COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths on Friday. The tally now stands at 1,008 and the death toll has touched 64. Nearly 64% of the State’s cases and 58% of the deaths are from Mumbai.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials have attributed the rise in numbers to the massive testing exercise being undertaken across the city. “We are also testing asymptomatic contacts and isolating them. This is something that is not being done elsewhere and helping us in early detection,” said deputy executive health officer Dr. Daksha Shah. She said nearly 60% of the new cases reported on Friday were a result of containment measures and contact tracing. As of Friday, the BMC has carried out 16,000 tests, which accounts for 50% of the tests carried out in the State. Between April 5 and 9, the BMC collected 647 swabs of people who approached fever clinics across the city.
The 10 deaths reported on Friday include a 69-year-old man with chronic kidney disease, a 65-year-old man with diabetes, a 59-year-old man with diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, a 70-year-old woman with diabetes, a 75-year-old man with diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease, a 58-year-old man with diabetes, a 74-year-old woman with diabetes and epilepsy, a 46-year-old woman with diabetes and a 64-year old woman with hypertension. A 45-year-old man who succumbed at Sion hospital was the only one who did not have any underlying medical condition.
BMC officials said as per protocol, anyone testing positive will be counted in the tally. “Many patients have comorbid conditions and that is worsening their condition,” said an official.
