SEALING...

This was during a review meeting held via video conferencing with all assistant commissioners, deputy municipal commissioners and additional commissioners. The civic body is also reverting to earlier stringent containment measures. If five or more patients are detected in a building, the BMC will now seal the entire building as a containment zone. All high-risk contacts of patients will be handstamped, and BMC Covid-19 war room officials will telephone home-quarantined patients five to six times a day to check if they are at home.

Among other measures, BMC will trace at least 15 close contacts per patient, who will go through mandatory home or institutional quarantine; action will be taken against those found in playgrounds and parks without wearing masks; a gathering of more than 50 people at a time will not be allowed at religious places and at weddings. The Mumbai police are now empowered to fine those not wearing masks, in addition to clean-up marshals

Chahal on Thursday confirmed that FIRS will be lodged against citizens who break home-quarantine rules. The municipal commissioner also issued a circular and said, “It has been observed that after the ‘Mission Begin Again’ [a staggered plan to lift curbs] was launched, many citizens are stepping out of their homes and roaming in public places without wearing masks, which is not only unsafe for them, but also for fellow citizens.”

The circular reiterated that is compulsory to wear masks while using public transport, commuting in public places such as streets, footpaths, markets, shopping centres, malls, restaurants, gymnasiums, offices, clinics and hospital premises. It is compulsory to wear masks at wedding ceremonies, religious places of worship. The circular also rapped government officers, saying no one will be allowed to attend meetings or enter institutional premises without wearing a mask.

BMC will now conduct regular inspections at marriage halls and wedding ceremonies. Surprise inspections will take place in at least five such places every day. If any persons are found to be violating rules according to the act, criminal action will be taken against the management of the premises, and organisers (parents, family members) of the wedding.

There are presently 2,400 clean-up marshals in Mumbai, who will fine those not wearing masks and spitting in public places. This number will be doubled to 4,800 marshals.

The target given to the marshals to take action against citizens has also been doubled from the current average of 12,500 citizens to 25,000 per day. Marshals will patrol the city at night as well, and 300 marshals will travel in local trains to fine those not wearing masks during their commute.

Those not wearing masks will be punished under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, and fined Rs200.

Every ward will now have at least one CCC1 and CCC2 centres for quarantine of high-risk contacts and asymptomatic patients. BMC will also map areas where a high number of cases are being detected, to maximise testing in these areas. So far, BMC has conducted 3,080,528 tests since March.

Travelers from Brazil will also to be sent to mandatory institutional-quarantine facilities. So far, travellers from UK, Europe, Middle East and South Africa are sent to mandatory institutional quarantine facilities.