Train services can be a factor for spike in COVID-19 cases: BMC chief
Mumbai: A latest statement given by the BMC Chief on the spread of coronavirus may warn you to avoid locals in Mumbai. BMC Chief on Thursday said that “Train services can be a factor for spike in COVID-19 cases.”
According to the government data – Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh witnessed an upsurge in Daily New Cases.
BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said that “Some of the cause for the rise in cases could be attributed to the large volume of public movement in the transport system.”
The civic officials in Mumbai are maintaining that there was no link between a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases and the resumption of local train services.
On the rise of coronavirus cases in Mumbai – IS Chahal said that “Yes it is true, and I have been saying that it would take at least three weeks for us to understand if the trains have caused any rise in cases. Now we are exactly three weeks away from February 1 and resumption of train services can be one of the factors for the rise in the number of cases,”
According to the official data – around 400 cases were reported in Mumbai when train service was not in operation (till February 1), but by the end of the first week of train resumption in February, the number surpassed the 500 mark.
At the end of the second week of February – 599 cases were reported on February 13. On February 20, around 900 cases were registered in Mumbai and on February 24 the number of COVID cases crossed 1,000-mark.
On Wednesday, the city reported 1,167 cases, highest since November 28. The BMC has scaled up containment measures and is taking strict action against violators of the COVID norms.
The state government is monitoring the situation and will take a decision in the next eight days if cases continue to rise.
Chahal said, “We have already initiated a process to re-activate all major COVID care centres and jumbo COVID centres across the city and suburbs. We have already met and discussed this with the heads of major private and government hospitals.”
