Coronavirus scare in Dharavi: Second positive COVID-19 case found in Asia's largest slum

The second positive case of COVID19 has been confirmed in Dharavi Mumbai, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stated. 

A 52-year-old BMC sanitization worker has been found positive for the virus. He resides in the Worli area but was posted at Dharavi for cleaning, BMC informed.

The man who tested positive had developed symptoms and was advised by the BMC to get treatment. His family members & 23 colleagues were asked to quarantine.

Earlier yesterday, a 56-year-old man from the Dharavi area who tested positive for coronavirus, died at SION hospital. He had symptoms like fever, cough, respiratory issues and also had co-morbid conditions of renal failure. The other 7 members of his family have been placed under home quarantine and the building he lived in has been sealed.

Dharavi is a densely populated slum in Mumbai with over 15 lakh people, spread over 613 hectares, and could very likely become an infection hotspot. Many media reports claim that social distancing in such a densely populated slum is unthinkable. A new Indian Express report stated that on an average five to eight people shared a 100 sq ft of room. According to the guidelines of social distancing set by WHO, one person should get to stay a minimum of 20 sq ft of area but in Dharavi, it is less than 10 sq ft.

Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of positive coronavirus cases with 335 and 13 dead so far after being infected by the virus.

In India, the total number of positive cases has risen to 1965 on Thursday and the death toll from the deadly virus reached 50.