MCA likely to offer Wankhede Stadium as quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients

Earlier, BMC had written to the MCA, asking them to handover the Wankhede Stadium under the guidelines issued by BMC commissioner as per Epidemic Act 1897.

Mumbai: Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is likely to offer the Wankhede Stadium to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for turning it into a quarantine facility to treat the patients suffering from Covid-19.

"We have received a formal request from the BMC to hand over the Wankhede as quarantine facility and the members have had a discussion where we have agreed to support them with facilities of MCA," sources within the MCA told a leading news agency.

Earlier in the day, BMC had written to the MCA, asking them to handover the Wankhede Stadium under the guidelines issued by BMC commissioner as per Epidemic Act 1897.

The BMC has also conveyed to the MCA that the possession will be temporary under the regulations of the Epidemic Act and it will be used for emergency staff of the BMC and also to quarantine coronavirus positive but asymptomatic patients.

Maharashtra has been the worst-hit state due to the coronavirus.

As on Friday, total cases in Maharashtra rose to 21,467, including 6,564 cured/discharged patients and 1,068 deaths.

When it comes to Mumbai, 933 fresh positive cases of coronavirus and 24 deaths have been reported on Friday, taking the total positive cases to 17,512.

Nearly 4650 patients have been discharged so far, as confirmed by the BMC.

Earlier, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan also offered their personal office space in Mumbai to the BMC for turning it into a quarantine facility.

As per the latest update by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of coronavirus cases in the country is 81,970, of which 27,920 have recovered/migrated and 2,649 people have died.