Behind the glee on the faces of Mumbaikars who have been crowding markets, open spaces and stations, a grim picture is developing. Active Covid cases in Dadar, Byculla and Bandra have more than doubled in the past few weeks, while Parel, Worli, Lalbaug, Wadala, Sion, Andheri, Dahisar and Mulund have reported an over 50 per cent rise in new infections, said civic officials.

After recording a welcome drop for several weeks, cases have started rising in nine wards between August 16 and September 6. G-north which comprises Dadar, Mahim and Dharavi, tops the list. Here, active cases have raced from 82 to 236. There are only 13 active cases in Dharavi, but Dadar and Mahim have 92 and 131 respectively, with high-rises reporting a sharp growth.