Lockdown in Maha? As Covid Hospitalisation Up by 231% in Mumbai, Minister Lays Down Terms for Curbs

After two months of downward trend, the intensive care units in government Covid-19 hospitals in Mumbai have started seeing surge in admissions. The recent surge has also led to private facilities to allocate beds for Covid patients.

Hospitalisation due to Covid-19 in Mumbai have increased by 231 percent in May, compared to April, a report in Times of India said.

The hospitalisation in the city was 215 as of Monday due to Covid-19, which was up from 65 in April and 149 in March. The report, however, added that the situation is nowhere close to January when the Maharashtra capital recorded 19,200 admissions during the Omicron wave.

“We have seen admissions after a long gap. But patients are not coming with direct Covid pneumonia we saw earlier,” Dr Santosh Shetty, executive director of Kokilaben Hospital reportedly said. He added that 14-bed ICU is ready and added that 3 patients are in wards while 1 is in the ICU.

However, the admissions due to Covid-19 is mostly among those above 60 years or with comorbidities. According to the report, eight of the 10 patients are above 60 and have more than two comorbidities.

Meanwhile, Mumbai city guardian minister Aslam Shaikh said Maharashtra will impose another lockdown if Covid cases continue to surge and exceed thousand in the state.

“Given the pace at which patients are growing, restrictions will have to be put in place. Restrictions on airlines are still in place. If people don’t take care, the possibility of sanctions cannot be ruled out,” Aslam Shaikh said, according to Free Press Journal.

Out of the 2,238 active cases in the city on Monday, only 98 were in the hospitals. Mumbai on Monday reported 318 COVID-19 cases, the fifth day in a row when the addition to the tally was above 300. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official said 298 of the 318 new cases were asymptomatic, while just three of the 20 persons hospitalised needed oxygen support.

The BMC has also warned of an impending fourth wave and announced that all Jumbo Covid facilities will be functional till September in Mumbai with the rising number of Covid cases.

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