Mumbai: Slums give Covid-19 a miss, but high-rise buildings become target

In a free vaccination drive conducted by MNS and Part Foundation at a BMC school in Prabhadevi, 2,100 doses of Covishield were administered on Saturday. Pic/Ashish Raje

Experts had warned that children and slum dwellers could be at risk during the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the number of positive cases is on the rise among kids, the infection rate seems to be increasing in high rises only. Taking cognisance of the issue, the BMC even sealed many buildings and floors in the past week. Interestingly, not a single slum pocket in the city was declared a containment zone.

Containment zones (CZ) in slums were first created during the first wave, when the pockets started reporting a cluster of cases. The zones prohibit entry and exit of residents behind the boundary and thus help curb the spread of infection. During the first wave, the number of CZs reached beyond 700, and then the civic body had started to close the entrance of slums rather than small patches for better management. Almost all the slums were in containment zones at least once, and some faced stricter restrictions for months.

But in the second wave, the cases started coming from high rises and the number of CZs remained low. "In the first wave, slum dwellers and senior citizens were affected. In the second wave, high rises and the younger generation were hit hard. During sero surveys, it is found that antibodies in the slum population has decreased and so experts had warned that children and slum-dwellers will be at a higher risk in the third wave," said a BMC official.

Also Read: Covid-19: Mumbai's total positivity rate dips to 1.13 per cent

Since June, cases in children are on the rise and many cluster cases are being reported in orphanages and children's homes. "In our ward, only two to three per cent cases are from slums and so, there is no need to declare any containment zones," said Gajanan Bellale, assistant commissioner of F North ward, comprising Wadala, Sion. The area has the highest growth rate of cases in the city.

In H West ward, where 11 buildings and floors of 35 buildings were sealed after five or more patients were reported last week, not a single slum has been put into CZ. "Most of the cases are from buildings. We are encouraging residents to help their domestic workers to get tested," said Vinayak Vispute, assistant commissioner of H East Ward.

Even in Dharavi, the most talked-about area in the first wave, the daily cases are below five. "Dharavi has 13 active cases whereas Dadar has 90 and Mahim has 127, the adjacent areas of high rises in the same wards, have almost eight to 10 times more cases," said an official from G North ward. Currently, 43 buildings and additional 1,304 floors in different buildings are completely sealed in the city.

52,025
No. of active cases in Maharashtra on Saturday

28,387
No. of first doses administered on saturday in city

1,29,845
No. of second doses administered on saturday in Mumbai city

4
No. of deaths in city