Mumbai: The city is ready to face a serge of covid cases the city’s Mayor Kishori Pednekar told NDTV today as India’s financial capital continues to see an uptick, believed to be propelled by the new Omicron variant.
“In our fight against the pandemic, after the Delta variant, this new variant has emerged – Omicron. Our hospitals and Covid centers are ready. Vaccination is also taking place at a steady pace. The guidelines – both central and state – are being followed. The cops are keeping a check on the violators,” Ms Pednekar explained.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had issued a strict warning against an unpredicted rise in the covid, across the world. “I am highly concerned that Omicron, being more transmissible, circulating at the same time as Delta, is leading to a tsunami of cases,” he had said. Today, reports said, the United States registered a record daily surge of 10 lakh fresh infections.
When Mumbai’s Mayor was questioned about remark and the sudden spike in infections in the city, she stated that Maharashtra will do its best to contain the spread. She said, “We have followed the WHO guidelines. We have jumbo quarantine centers ready. While the city and Maharashtra will do its best to contain the spread, even if a tsunami comes, we should be ready.”
During the second wave, the city had faced a shortage of hospital beds and medical oxygen. Underlining that lessons were learned, the Mayor said, “We noted the gaps last time. Over 30,000 beds – apart from hospital beds – are presently there, oxygen plants are operational. Manpower is also there. We are ready for the third wave.”
Mumbai is seeing a rise in cases four times faster, the top official added. But most cases, she underscored, have been asymptomatic.
The Mayor assured that testing will be done extensively: “We are on a high alert. Those on board will have to undergo RT-PCR tests and till the results are out, they will not be allowed to deboard the ship. They will be allowed the list of quarantine centers and hotels, and the samples will also be sent for genome sequencing.”
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