COVID-19 restrictions in Mumbai to be lifted by month-end: Mayor
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar said on Tuesday that COVID-19 restrictions in the city will be lifted by the end of February. "Mumbai will be unlocked by the end of this month. We have made up our minds," she told ANI. However, Pednekar cautioned the citizens to not be causal, adding, "it is essential for the people to wear masks and observe social distancing."
Why does the story matter?
The development came after the Maharashtra government eased restrictions in 11 districts where cases had declined. For the first time since December 2021, Mumbai's daily cases dropped below 500 on Monday. The active cases in the city also came down. Earlier, Mumbai lifted the night curfew and allowed beaches, parks, restaurants, salons to operate at 50% capacity.
Steady decline in COVID-19 cases
The daily COVID-19 cases in Mumbai took a dip from 536 cases on Sunday to 356 cases on Monday. The overall number of active cases in the city fell from 5,743 on Sunday to 5,139 on Monday. The recovery rate increased by 1% to 98%. The doubling rate was 760 days on Sunday, up 30 days from the previous day.
Hospitalizations remain low in Mumbai
According to data by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, 40 new patients were hospitalized on Monday, bringing the total number of patients admitted to hospitals to 1,407. Only 10 of the 40 required oxygen beds, taking the total number of patients on oxygen beds to 618. Only 3.8% of the 37,116 available beds in Mumbai are now occupied.
67 doctors, 19 nurses in Maharashtra succumbed to COVID-19
COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 67 doctors and 19 nurses in Maharashtra, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. He also hailed the efforts of healthcare staff in the fight against COVID-19. "Doctors and all paramedical staff in India have worked day and night during COVID-19 pandemic including all three waves," said Mandaviya.
