As the number of new Covid-19 cases in Mumbai reached the highest so far, at 5,504, and 14 fatalities, the BMC on Thursday, 25 March, warned that it was preparing for a worst-case scenario of recording around 10,000 cases per day in the near future.

BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Municipal Commissioner I.S. Chahal, while assuring that the "situation is under control and there is no reason to panic", said that the Health Department is gearing up to raise the total availability of Covid beds from 13,733 to 21,000 in the next two weeks in various hospitals in the city.

He pointed out that assuming every symptomatic patient requires a bed and considering a 14 days bed occupancy, the total beds needed to handle 10,000 cases per day for a period of next six to eight weeks would be around 21,000.

Chahal's statement assumes significance after Mumbai recorded 5,000 plus tallies - 5,458 on 24 March and 5,504 on 25 March - from 40,400-plus Covid tests.

The positivity rate is 12 per cent, the percentage of asymptomatic patients is 84 per cent, and preparations are on in full swing to cater to the expected increase of 10,000 patients daily of which 15 per cent would be symptomatic requiring hospitalization as per ICMR norms, he pointed out.

The BMC has already notched a million-plus vaccinations with plans to enhance the numbers, and has increased testing in hospitals and public places or crowded areas, though all Covid-19 protocols must be followed by citizens, he urged.

(This story was published from a syndicated feed. Only the headline and picture has been edited by FIT).