A 49-year-old staffer at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) succumbed to COVID-19 on Wednesday. With the staffer’s death, the city recorded 26 fatalities on Wednesday, pushing the death toll to 270. The city’s case fatality rate now stands at 4%. The city also recorded 475 new cases, taking its tally to 6,644.
The assessment inspector, a resident of Borivali, was roped in for food distribution in Dharavi and started showing symptoms on April 23. A local physician gave him a course of antibiotic, but his condition did not improve. He then got tested for COVID-19 on Monday. “On Wednesday, he called the office to inform his colleagues that his condition was worsening. An ambulance was sent immediately, but he died before reaching Kasturba Hospital,” said Kiran Dighavkar, assistant commissioner of G North ward.
Mr. Dighavkar said the staffer worked with them from March 29 to April 22, but stopped coming after falling ill. His reports returned positive after his death. He is survived by his wife and two sons.
Civic employees tasked with distributing food in slums get masks and gloves, but BJP corporator Abhijit Samant, who knew the deceased, said better safety gear should be given to staff working in hotspots.
Of the 26 deaths, 10 were reported last week. Of them, 16 had co-morbidities. “The victims comprised 21 men and five women. Twelve deaths were in the 40 to 60 age group, 13 above 60 years and one was above 80,” said a BMC official.
More than 8,000 people have been admitted to COVID care centres in the city. BMC officials said patients who need beds or ambulance services can dial 1916.
‘Don’t shut centres’
Dr. Sanjay Oak, chairman of the government-appointed task force, said medical centres where a patient or a staffer tests positive should not remain shut for more than 24 hours. He said, “The centre should be fumigated and thorough surface cleaning with 1% sodium hypochlorite should be done.”
He said healthcare workers wearing full personal protective equipment should not be quarantined. He said only people who come in contact with positive patients should be tested.
