Mumbai gears up for Omicron as 15,166 new COVID cases were reported on Wednesday

With 15,166 new COVID-19 cases reported on Wednesday, the financial capital puts in place stricter restrictions to contain infections in the city. However lockdown is not an option, as of now, the Maharashtra Health Minister clarified.

Mumbai: The financial capital reported 15,166 fresh infections of COVID-19 and three deaths on Wednesday. The active cases in the city has risen to 61,923.

On Tuesday, Mumbai reported 10,860 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily count after April 7, 2021, while two more patients succumbed to the infection, as per the civic body.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai civic body has made rapid RT-PCR test mandatory for the passengers coming from at-risk and high-risk countries and the UAE at the international airport here, a senior civic official said on Wednesday.

"All international passengers coming from at-risk and high-risk countries and the UAE will be asked to take a rapid RT-PCR test. If positive, they will be asked to take routine RT-PCR and ask to wait for results," Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner, BMC, tweeted.

Presently, 13 countries are listed in the 'at risk' category. Passengers arriving from the UAE will also have to undergo rapid RT-PCR tests on arrival as per rules.

The Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Wednesday said 100 percent lockdown is not required as of now, but stressed on the need to impose restrictions wherever there is crowding.

Tope added that 90 percent of the cases are asymptomatic. Of the 10 percent symptomatic patients, only one to two per cent require hospitalisation.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar said if the daily COVID-19 cases cross the 20,000-mark, a lockdown will be imposed in the city as per the Union government's rules.

She had also suggested that people wear triple-layer masks while traveling by public buses and local trains.

The mayor had also appealed to citizens to get vaccinated at the earliest and follow all COVID-19-related standard operating procedures (SOPs).

143 passengers on board cruise ship test Covid positive

The BMC also stated on Wednesday that out of 1,827 passengers on board Cordelia cruise ship that has returned to Mumbai from Goa, 143 have tested positive for coronavirus in addition to 66 other travellers already diagnosed with the infection, a senior Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said.

Dr Mangala Gomare, executive health officer, BMC, told PTI that the civic body has received RT-PCR test reports of all 1,827 passengers on board the ship, which returned to Mumbai from Goa on Tuesday evening, and 143 of them have tested positive for COVID-19.

She said these 143 COVID-19 positive passengers were apart from 60 others who tested positive for coronavirus when the ship was in Goa (out of total 66 infected travellers, 6 had disembarked in Goa and 60 came to Mumbai).

Last night, the civic body conducted RT-PCR tests on 1,827 passengers after the vessel anchored at the International Cruise Terminal at Ballard Pier in South Mumbai.

The civic body has arranged five ambulances for ferrying the infected passengers to quarantine centres.

(With agency inputs)