‘MAY LOCK MUMBAI IF SITUATION GOES AWRY’

Mumbai: While virulent third wave of Covid is knocking on India’s door, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Tuesday said the Covid-19 task force report suggests that 80–85 per cent of cases in Mumbai are of the Omicron variant.

The commisioner also said that Maharashtra is expressing the onset of the third wave of Covid-19.

If the number of Covid cases rises to 20,000 per day and things go out of our hands, then strict restrictions will be clamped in the city. Explaining the rising of cases in the state, Chahal said, “We are at the beginning of the third wave because the positivity rate has been increasing since December 21.

In the months of August and September last year, the positivity rate was less than 1 per cent. For the first time, the positivity rate went beyond 1 per cent on December 21, and after 14 days, we are at a positivity rate of 17.4 per cent.”

While assuring the presence of adequate medical resources to fight the anticipated third wave with complete preparedness, Chahal said that there is no need to panic but people must remain guarded and cautious because the way the virus is spreading, the number of cases can be humungous.

Talking about the imposition of curbs, Chahal said, “On December 30, 2020, two factors were discussed in a meeting with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackarey.

The new yardsticks, unlike the positivity rate during the first and second waves, should be the bed availability in hospitals and the requirement for oxygen.

The future decision to impose lockdown will depend on these factors.” Adding to the data, Chahal said, “In the last 14 days, though the number of cases has increased from 100 to almost 8,000 now, the hospitalisation rate is not more than 5 per cent.

Also, these 5 per cent of infected patients do not require any oxygen or ICU beds.” “Currently, the beds are being activated in a phased manner. So far, out of 30,000 beds, only 14,000 are in use, he said.

“We have taken a number of steps in order to curb the spread of Omicron. The measures include the banning of public gatherings from 5 pm to 5 am and the closure of schools from Class I to VIII.

4.54 lakh students from Classes IXXII will be transported to nine jumbo centres for vaccination. Online classes will continue,” Chahal added.