Having established that asymptomatic patients and high-risk contacts are contributing to the spread of Covid-19 in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has among other things decided to lodge FIRs against these two categories of people and impose on them for breaking the home-quarantine norms.
In view of the multiplying Covid-19 cases in Mumbai and areas of Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) during the past few days, the BMC has drawn up a strategy to counter the increasing incidence of pandemic cases.
The authorities attribute the sudden increase in the number of Covid-19 cases to the resumption of suburban locals from February 1, a disturbing trend being witnessed among sizeable sections of citizens, who are not wearing masks and following the pandemic norms and the fact that asymptomatic patients and high-risk contacts are stepping out of
their homes and going to public places flouting the health protocols.
Having found out that hundreds of asymptomatic patients and high-risk contacts have visited public places like shops, malls and garden areas exposing others to contract the Covid-19 virus, the BMC has decided to lodge FIR against those breaking home-quarantine norms and impose hefty fines on such violators.
“In the last two days there have been 1,500-odd cases who are asymptomatic. In these people, there are no symptoms at all. If these 1,500 people start roaming in the streets, in a fortnight’s time the number of cases would be 15,000,” Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said.
Chahal said that recently a lady from Powai, who is a high-risk contact travelled out of umbai and stayed in Nashik for a couple of days. “Asymptomatic patients and high-risk contacts are supposed to be in home-quarantine,” he said.
Chahal said that in line with the strict guidelines issued by the BMC to check the spread of the Covid-19 in the city, asymptomatic patients would be stamped.
“We will request them and ask them to be at home, it would be an appeal. If they do not follow, we will put them in institutional quarantine. We are also telling the housing society managements to ensure that unless the patients test negative they should not be allowed to step out of their homes,” the Mumbai civic chief said.
As a measure to keep track of asymptomatic patients, the BMC employees will call the home landline numbers of asymptomatic patients at least five times in a day to check if they are at home.