Mumbai: Why H West Ward has highest Covid-19 cases

In order to ensure that people do not skip testing for Covid-19, the H West Ward, comprising Bandra West, Khar West and Santa Cruz West, has now issued a circular to mandatorily test all residents, even if one case is reported in a building.

COVID-19 cases have been rising sharply in the last two weeks despite the number of tests remaining more or less the same. The test positivity rate of the city crossed 15 per cent on Saturday. As per the World Health Organisation's guidelines, a TPR of less than 5 per cent is an indicator that the infection is under control.

While the BMC has started increasing screening to trace cases, people are showing resistance. "Earlier we conducted random testing at public places like railway stations, markets, ward offices, and beaches etc. But now people are reluctant to do tests. Even symptomatic patients coming to private or civic clinics are reluctant. They demand that we show them a circular," said a health officer of the BMC.

Also read: Covid-19: 8 pc of Maharashtra's adult population yet to take 1st dose of vaccine

Speaking with mid-day, Vinayak Vispute, assistant commissioner of H West Ward, said that they decided to make testing mandatory because of the resistance by societies. "We had instructions to increase testing. So we issued a circular to make testing compulsory for all residents of a building where any positive case is reported on the premises," said Vispute.

After testing increased, he said, the number of cases in the ward also rose. Currently, the growth rate of new cases is highest in the H West Ward. In just three days, from June 7 to 9, the ward reported 385 cases. In the previous seven days (from 28 May to June 3), the ward reported 348 cases.

Vispute said this only helps identify patients and isolate them, so that the infection does not spread. Dr Suresh Uchle, health officer of D Ward said, "The resistance is slowly reducing. People are realising that cases are increasing and testing is necessary."