Sealing of city bldgs back amid Maha Covid alarm

Those violating home quarantine face jail or fine, says BMC; state reports over 5,000 new cases, first time since December 4

MUMBAI: Buildings in Mumbai that house five or more Covid-19 patients will be sealed, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), reacting to the steady spike in infections across the city and Maharashtra over the past few weeks with a string of measures that brought an uneasy lockdown déjà vu.

Mumbaiites who are high-risk contacts of Covid-19 patients could face up to six months imprisonment, or a fine of at least ₹200, or even both, if they break their home quarantine, the civic body also ruled.

Maharashtra had reported its first case in March 2020, which was followed by strict shutdowns and curbs that were being lifted in a staggered manner only over the past few months. The local train services for all resumed only this month.

On Thursday, the civic body decided it will file first information reports (FIR) against homequarantine violators and then send them to mandatory institutional quarantine, under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. According to officials, one such FIR was filed against a resident of Chandivli by the BMC with the Powai police, under sections 188 and 269 of the IPC. A building in Mahim was sealed after five patients were detected there.

Maharashtra on Thursday recorded 5,427 cases, first spike in excess of 5,000 in 76 days (since December 4), and 38 deaths, taking the tally to 2,081,520 and toll to 51,669. Mumbai recorded 736 new cases and three deaths due to the infection. The total has now gone up to 316,487, and the toll is 11,432. There are 4,782 active cases in the city. Mumbai had on Wednesday recorded 721 new Covid-19 cases, the highest since January 6 (795 new cases).

The latest directives were given by municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Thursday.