Mumbai's containment zones rise to 1036 as cases cross 4500; govt mulls lockdown extension

With Mumbai reporting the maximum Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases at 4589, the city's civic body - Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has expanded the number of containment zones in the city to 1036. The earlier tally was at 751 zones spread around the city, with the G-South ward (Haji Ali to Worli) reporting the highest. Mumbai's current COVID-19 tally (as of Friday), stands at 4589 cases with 179 deaths and 595 discharged.

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Mumbai under containment

The BMC had set up 983 containment zones throughout Mumbai since the rise in the number of cases. As of April 24, that number reduced to 751 as 231 zones were removed from containment due to no new case in the past 14 days.  With over 1 million people living in five square kilometer area, Dharavi is Mumbai's most densely populated area and has been under severe scrutiny - recording 220 cases with 14 deaths.

BMC is also going to distribute anti-malarial Hydroxychloroqune tablets among Dharavi residents as a preventive measure. Moreover, the Centre's inter-ministerial team which has visited several areas of Mumbai's containment zones - has recommended adding more isolation beds as the number cases rise in Mumbai. The city has also been allowed to start plasma therapy clinical trials on critical COVID-19 patients.

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Mumbai- Pune lockdown extension likely

Earlier in the day, sources in Maharashtra government informed Republic TV that there was no possibility of lifting the lockdown in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and the Pune Metropolitan Region after May 3, when the national lockdown is set to end. As per these sources, such regions in the state shall continue to remain under lockdown due to the increasing number of cases. It is likely that the current restrictions will remain in place at least till June, as per sources.

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Maharashtra partially opens 'orange & green zones'

On Sunday, CM Uddhav Thackeray announced that the state government will partially resumption of economic activities from April 20 in Green and Orange zones. However, the government had to rollback the partial relaxation in Pune and Mumbai as COVID cases soared.  With the railways shutting down its services on March 22 marking 'Janta Curfew', the Maharashtra government extended a state-wide curfew, before PM Modi's nationwide curfew till May 3.

Covid Lockdown to be extended in Mumbai & Pune beyond May 3, likely till June: Sources