COVID-19: Sena MP urges Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray to lock down entire Dharavi area

On Tuesday, Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP Rahul Shewale wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray urging him to impose a lockdown to be imposed in the entire Dharavi slum area. Noting that Dharavi, which falls under his constituency was witnessing a growing number of COVID-19 cases, Shewale contended that a lockdown was necessary because of the high density of population in the area. He demanded that the BMC should take over all the hospitals in Dharavi and convert the Dharavi Sports Complex into a quarantine centre.

Moreover, he called for the testing of every Dharavi resident. At the same time, he stressed the need for ensuring the supply of essential goods so that the people are not inconvenienced. Dharavi, Asia's largest slum has already registered 7 novel coronavirus cases. 

Read: Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 2 New COVID-19 Cases In Mumbai's Dharavi; Cases In India At 4420

Maharashtra COVID-19 tally surges to 891

Two new people who tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday are relatives of a 30-year-old woman who is a confirmed coronavirus patient. The BMC is tracing the aforesaid woman's movements over the last week. On April 1, a 56-year-old person residing in Dharavi had succumbed to the novel coronavirus.

After the first COVID-19 case was detected in Dharavi, the BMC created new containment zones throughout the region. According to the Maharashtra Health Department, 891 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state until noon on Tuesday. This includes 23 new cases- 10 from Mumbai, 4 in Pune, 3 in Ahmednagar and two in Buldhana and Nagpur each. 

Read: PM Modi Gives Thumbs Up To Akshay Kumar, Others For Inspiring Music Video Amid COVID-19

The coronavirus crisis

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a complete lockdown in the country until April 14 to tackle the challenge posed by the COVID-19 crisis. Currently, there are 4421 confirmed novel coronavirus cases in India out of which 326 people have recovered while 114 individuals have lost their lives. On April 5, people across the country heeded PM Modi's appeal and lit a lamp, candle or torchlight to express solidarity with fellow citizens and to vanquish the darkness caused by the novel coronavirus. Apart from the PM's Cabinet colleagues, multiple Chief Ministers including Pinarayi Vijayan, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy participated in this initiative. 

Read: COVID-19 Death Toll Rises To 114, Number Of Cases Climbs To 4,421: Health Ministry

Read: 'UP Won't Be Able To Lift Lockdown Even If Single Covid Case Remains': Yogi's Official