Mumbai sees 692 new COVID positive cases with 50 in Dharavi; city tally at 11,219

Continuing its linear increase in Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, Mumbai on Thursday, reported 692 new cases and 25 deaths. Of these 692, 170 cases were tested positive between May 3 and May 5 across various labs. The city's current tally stands at 11,219 cases and 437 deaths.

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Mumbai: 692 new cases

BJP alleges 'patients treated alongside bodies' in Sion hospital ward; BMC initiates probe

Sion hospital controversy

Earlier in the day, BJP MLA Nitesh Rane shared a video in which patients were seen being treated allegedly next to bodies wrapped in black body bags. While Rane claims that the video is from Sion hospital, that has yet to be verified. Visuals in the video that surfaced on social media show a crowded ward where patients are lying connected to drip bags and body bags are laid out on adjacent beds as doctors in protective gear are seen going about their duties, attending patients.

Slamming the Uddhav Thackeray government, Former CM Devendra Fadnavis tweeted that the incident endangered the lives of Mumbaikars. Taking cognizance of the allegation, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar informed that BMC has set up a committee to authenticate if the video is from Sion hospital. The BMC is also going to issue a set of guidelines to deal with the bodies if they are unclaimed and as to how long a body can be kept.

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Mumbai under containment

The BMC has set up 1459 containment zones throughout Mumbai, even though 321 zones were opened up as they had not reported any new case for 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 783 cases with 21 deaths. BMC is also going to distribute anti-malarial Hydroxychloroqune tablets among Dharavi residents.

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Moreover, the BMC has announced that existing isolation bed capacity will soon be increased from 3000 to 4750. With the rise in cases, the government has not lifted the lockdown in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region after May 3 and CM Thackeray has reiterated that trains will not resume operations. The Centre has appointed a team to overview the Coronavirus situation in Mumbai, headed by Union Joint Secretary of Health Lav Agarwal, which will visit the city soon.