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SURESH KAKANI, additional commissioner, BMC

In the initial stage, BMC will run tests on suspected patients and high-risk contacts in wards namely R-N (Dahisar), R-C (Borivli West), R-S (Kandivli), P-N (Malad), P-S (Goregaon), K-E (Andheri East) and K-W (Andheri West).

According to BMC’S data, K-E has reported the highest number of Covid-19 cases (5507). K-W is in the fourth position with over 4,706 cases, as of Thursday.

“Along with this, we will start testing symptomatic patients from hospitals to get faster reports,” said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner, BMC.

BMC plans to gradually start testing high-risk contacts of infected patients from containment zones to find more patients, especially those who are asymptomatic. Almost 40,000 Covid-19 frontliners will also undergo the test, BMC officials said.

“With more testing, the number of cases will also increase. But this will also ensure early treatment of patients. Expecting a surge in cases, we have also increased the bed strength in intensive care unit (ICU) to over 1,500,” said Dr Shashank Joshi, a member of the Covid-19 state task force.

Medical experts have welcomed the civic body’s move to begin rapid antigen testing. “In Mumbai, almost 80% patients are still not identified as asymptomatic. Although they don’t have symptoms like cough and cold, the chances of them spreading the infection is less, but they are still infectious. The more we identify and isolate them, the chain of reaction will break,” said Dr Abhijit