Coronavirus crisis | BMC preparing for worst case scenario of 75,000 COVID-19 cases in Mumbai by May-end: Report

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is working with the projection of India’s financial hub Mumbai, having 75,000 cases by the end of May, reports suggest.

According to a report by the Hindustan Times, of these 75,000 cases, 12,000 are projected to be symptomatic and the remaining 63,000 to be asymptomatic.

The report suggests that 13,500 hospital beds have been identified for the symptomatic cases in the tertiary and peripheral hospitals. Besides this, about 80,000 beds have been identified for asymptomatic cases in schools, hostels, hotels, sports complexes and marriage halls.

The 75,000 cases number, however, is the “worst-case scenario” a BMC official said as per the report.

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Bracing for impact

The municipal corporation has identified 25,000 isolation beds at hotels, hostels, sports complexes and marriage halls.

There are another 35,000 beds identified in 350 municipal schools. As many as 20,000 more beds can be made available in ‘jumbo facilities’ such as gymkhanas, the report adds. These are all meant for asymptomatic cases.

For symptomatic cases, beds are being prepared at dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in Mumbai, including 5,000 beds at private hospitals.

Additionally, 750 beds in intensive care units (ICUs) are also being readied.

According to a report in the Mumbai Mirror, the iconic Mahalaxmi Racecourse will soon house a 200-bed isolation facility. The Nehru planetarium and the Nehru Science Centre situated close to the race course are being converted into isolation centres with 200 and 100 beds, respectively.

While another isolation facility is being prepared at the defunct Richardson Cruddas factory near Byculla, 600 beds are being readied at the Mahim Nature Park.

As part of the plan, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Ground in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) is set to have a 500-bed isolation facility.

The @CMOMaharashtra had requested the @MMRDAOfficial to assist in a modular quarantine and isolation facility in order to ramp up beds as a part of corona preparedness. The MMRDA has started doing its bit. If we don’t want to go here, we must stay home and stay safe! https://t.co/5sLBMe2Iu1

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) April 28, 2020

On May 4, Mumbai recorded 510 new cases of COVID-19, taking the total number in the city past the 9,000-mark. The COVID-19 death toll in Mumbai stands at 361.

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