BMC moves to seal coronavirus affected areas in Mumbai

With over 150 coronavirus cases reported from Mumbai alone, highest from any city in the country,  the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is racing against time to seal the areas where positive cases have been found. 

The areas which the BMC plans to seal include where contacts of confirmed cases live. 

So far, the civic body has sealed 140 neighbourhoods. This includes 48 in South Mumbai, 46 in West Mumbai and 48 in East Mumbai. Only essential vehicles will be allowed to come and go from these areas. 

Besides Mumbai, municipal authorities in Navi Mumbai, Thane and Dombivali are also planning the same action. 

Earlier, the BMC said it had started Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping of coronavirus affected areas in the city. The maps of the areas where there is a higher number of coronavirus cases will be posted on the civic body's website, BMC commissioner Praveen Pardeshi said in a release on Tuesday.

Maharashtra is the most affected state in India with 320 cases being reported from there. Death toll in the state reached 12 after two more COVID-19 patients died, health officials said on Wednesday. Thirty nine coronavirus positive patients have been discharged after recovery. 

A 75-year-old man from Mumbai and a 50-year-old man in Palghar district died due to coronavirus. 

"The 75-year-old male patient died here on Tuesday. We are finding details of his travel history and also checking if someone close to him had a travel history," an official said.

The Palghar man had no travel history, he said.