Amid rise in COVID cases, BMC tightens norms for housing societies in Mumbai

Amid the recent surge in coronavirus cases in Mumbai, the Brihannmumbai Municipal Corporation on Wednesday said that strict action will be taken against the violators of COVID-19 norms and SOPs in the city.

“The building with more than five patients will be sealed for any movement and buildings having less than five patients will be sealed only on the floors which have positive COVID patients. As of March 9, 2,762 floors were sealed with 4,183 positive patients,” said the statement issued by the civic body.

Police cases would also be filed against those who skip home quarantine, the BMC said, adding that persons found flouting the home isolation norms would be “compulsorily shifted to instructional quarantines”.

According to BMC, over 90 percent of the new cases in Mumbai, during the past two months, have been reported from the housing societies only. As of March 9, the BMC has sealed 2762 floors sealed with 4183 positive patients of coronavirus. The city has 21 containment zones and 214 sealed buildings.

In the meantime, in order to ramp up Covid-19 vaccination in the financial capital of India, the civic body stated that private centers for COVID-19 vaccination in BMC limits are allowed to operate 24×7.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mumbai Guardian Minister Aslam Shaikh said if COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the city, the possibility of a night curfew or partial lockdown cannot be ruled out. Mumbai has been showing a daily spike of over 1,000 cases for the last few days.