Mumbai sees a drop in COVID cases and test positivity rate too falls below 3 per cent

The first week of June brought welcome news on the COVID-19 front for Mumbaikars. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation reported that there had been a steady drop in the number of daily cases and the test positivity rate.

Mumbai's Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Chahal talks with his colleagues in the disaster management centre, on June 1.

The first week of June brought welcome news on the COVID-19 front for Mumbaikars. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation reported that there had been a steady drop in the number of daily cases and the test positivity rate. On June 8, the positivity rate was below 3 per cent for the second day in a row and the recovery rate was 75 per cent. The most encouraging news was that the doubling rate had gone up to 543 days. In April this rate had dropped to 30 days.

Daily COVID deaths in Mumbai fell to seven on June 8. City officials and doctors said the last time single digit deaths were noted was on March 24, when the daily deaths recorded was six. The rest of Maharashtra recorded 295 deaths. The number of new cases registered in Mumbai was down to 682 from over 800 for the past few months. The rest of the State saw 11,000 newly infected people on June 8.

From March 2020 to June 8, 2021, over 15,000 people succumbed to the coronavirus in Mumbai, while the number was 1,01,172 in the rest of the State. It can be said that Mumbai, with its population of about 1.3 crore people and a public health system that is groaning under the relentless pressure it was under, has managed the virus quite well.

While mask wearing is still not complied with by many, the general population seems to have grasped the nature of basic symptoms and people are reporting themselves to hospitals if they suspect they have the infection. Doctors say this has contributed to the drop in numbers.

The city has completely vaccinated 7.9 lakh people and given the first dose to 29.9 lakh citizens. Private hospitals have vaccinated far more people than public hospitals and clinics.

While there is a general sense of relief that there is a let up in the restrictions, there is also a sense of unease about the numbers skyrocketing again. With 50 per cent attendance permitted in offices, public transport can be expected to be crowded. Although local train services are open only to those who work in essential services, crowds were noticed at most stations.