How did some wards wave down Covid?

MUMBAI: Since the outbreak of the pandemic, a few civic wards in the city have recorded fewer Covid-19 cases compared to others, keeping the numbers low even during the second wave. Anticipating a third wave post September, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to conduct an epidemiological study of these wards.

Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, wards A (Fort), B (Dongri) and C (Kalbadevi) have been recording the lowest growth rate. On April 7, these three wards had fewer than seven cases each. On the same day, G-south (Elphinstone) ward followed by D (Nana Chowk), E (Byculla) and K-west (Andheri West) ward recorded 78, 59, 46 and 43 Covid-19 patients, respectively.

The ward-wise difference is visible in the data shared by the BMC. For instance, till May 30, B ward recorded a total of 3,796 cases, the lowest in the city. It is followed by C and A wards, with 6,624 and 15,463 cases, respectively. On the other hand, K-W (Andheri West) has recorded 51,432 cases, the highest in the city. Similarly, R-central (Borivali) and K-east (Andheri East) have registered 48,293 and 43,861 cases so far.

The BMC plans to study the trend. Several educational institutions like Indian Institute of Technology-bombay (IIT-B) and the University of Mumbai have tied up with the civic body for the study. “All the wards have implemented the same Covid-19 containment procedures and uniform policies. Despite this, some wards have recorded 10 times more cases. So, it is essential to study and understand the reasons behind it, which may help if we face a possible third wave in the near future,” said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner, BMC. At present, the average seven-day growth rate of Mumbai stands at 0.15%. R-N ward that covers Kandivli has the highest growth rate (0.28%).

A senior officer explained that the number of cases varied dras