26 Covid-19 deaths in Mumbai, 475 new cases, tally 6,457

Twenty-six coronavirus patients — highest in a day — died in Mumbai and 475 tested positive for the infection on Wednesday, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Those who died on Wednesday included a BMC official, which led to unions demanding that all corporation employees be tested for coronavirus.

It took the death toll in the country’s financial capital to 270 and the tally of patients jumped to 6,457 crossing the 6,000-mark.

A BMC release said that 377 new suspected patients were admitted at various hospitals and 193 recovered patients were discharged.

Till now, 1,427 patients have been discharged from hospitals on recovery. 108 of them were not city residents but were treated here, the BMC said.

Of the 26 Covid-19 patients who died in the city on Wednesday, 16 patients had co-morbidities, said the BMC.

21 of them were male and five female. Thirteen of the deceased were above 60 years old, 12 were between 40 to 60 years old and one was above 80 years old.

On Tuesday, Mumbai had recorded 25 deaths. An assessment inspector of the BMC, involved in the food distribution process in Dharavi area, died when he was being taken to civic-run Kasturba Hospital from another hospital.

A senior BMC official said he was on duty till April 23 and he had tested positive for coronavirus.

“He was the victim of negligent attitude of the administration,” said Ramakant Bane, leader of the Municipal Union, adding that adding that his life could have been saved if the administration had tested all BMC staff members.

BMC unions on Wednesday demanded that all civic employees be tested in the next two days.

A junior engineer with the water supply and maintenance department of G-north ward of BMC also tested positive for virus, a source said.

The BMC said it had created 242 CCC1 (Covid Care Center-1) facilities for local level quarantine for high- riskcontacts of confirmed patients who live in slums or congested areas. These 242 facilities can house 17,000 people.

The civic body has also set up 84 CCC2 (Covid Care Center-2) facilities meant for positive asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients who are less than 60 years old. These facilities can house over 14,000 patients.

“As of today there are 6,770 people admitted in CCC1 and 1,474 in CCC2,” BMC said.

It has identified nine Hospitals as DCHC (Designated Covid Health Centers) with 627 beds, where Covid positive patients above 60 years of age with comorbidity and moderate illness are being treated.

Mumbai’s Covid-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 6,457, new cases 475, deaths 26, discharged 193, active cases 4,760, and patients admitted so far 9,534.