Mumbaikars may be badly missing their favourite street foods, but the fact that these joints have been shut for the past four months has come as a blessing. While the city continues to fight the pandemic, no street food and measures like wearing masks, washing hands frequently and using hand sanitisers are turning out to be reasons for over 90 per cent decline in the number of gastrointestinal and hepatitis patients.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in June last year, there were 777 cases of gastrointestinal diseases, including diarrhoea, but this year, the number dropped to 40. Similarly in July last year 994 cases of gastrointestinal diseases were recorded and this year, until July 12, only 21 cases have been reported. A drop was noted in hepatitis A cases as well. While in June last year there were 282 cases, this year only three were recorded in the same month. In July last year there were 270 cases, but this year not a single case has been recorded in the first two weeks of this month.