Coronavirus pandemic | There is some evidence of community transmission in Mumbai and Maharashtra, says state official

Representative Image

With the number of coronavirus cases in India's financial capital, Mumbai, witnessing a daily rise of over 700 cases on an average, Maharashtra's state surveillance officer, Dr Pradip Awate told Hindustan Times that there seems to be some evidence of community transmission in the state and the city.

Awate, however, said the overall picture that is emerging out of the state is that of cluster cases.

"We are getting clusters of coronavirus cases in Mumbai and in the entire state of Maharashtra. There is some evidence of community spread not only in Mumbai but in other parts of the state as well. But the overall picture is that we are getting clusters of cases," Awate told the newspaper.

The official said Mumbai's case is different in that it is densely populated and has a distinct socio-economic significance.

"Not only is it the capital of the Maharashtra but its socio-economic location is also quite different from many other metros in India. It has more population density. Around 20,000 people are living here per square kilometre, so that is one of the reasons why Mumbai is throwing so many COVID-19 cases," Awate said, adding that in terms of the community transmission, an in-depth analysis of each and every case is needed.

"We need to find out the linkage of each and every case, the travel history, likely exposure and all those things," Awate told the newspaper.

In areas densely-populated areas of Mumbai, like Dharavi, over 800 cases and 29 deaths have been reported, with the city's civic body carrying out extensive campaigns to contain the spread. Overall, as of May 10, Mumbai has recorded over 13,564 COVID-19 cases. In total, Maharashtra has recorded over 22,000 cases.