Mumbai: BMC makes Institutional isolation mandatory for COVID patients over 50 years

In a bid to contain the COVID-19 fatality rate in the economic capital Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has now made institutional isolation mandatory for all Covid-19 positive patients aged above 50 years irrespective of whether they have any symptoms of the infection. The modified guidelines state that the patients may choose either government or private hospitals to undergo institutional isolation.

High fatality rate among 50 years and above patients

This comes at the time when Mumbai has recorded 588 deaths due to Covid-19 in the first 15 days of August. Out of the total fatalities 244 people who died in private hospitals, 94 percent were above the age of 50 years. The civic body’s analysis revealed that the fatality rate of patients between 50 years and 60 years is very high.

A circular issued by BMC’s health department on Wednesday, August 19, said that Covid-19 patients above 50 years of age or anyone who has co-morbidities, irrespective of their age, will now have to go to 'COVID Care Centre 2 (CCC2)' facilities for treatment and isolation. The existing guidelines by the BMC allowed home isolation for asymptomatic patients below 60 years of age with no co-morbidities and those having separate toilet facilities in their homes.

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COVID-19 situation in Mumbai

The financial capital has reported 1275 new Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and 46 deaths as of Thursday. The city also saw 976 recoveries taking the cured tally to 1,07,033. Mumbai's tally now stands 1,32,817 cases of which 18,170 are active and 7311 deaths. Mumbai is seeing a steady rise in recovery rate - standing at 80.58% now while its growth rise slowed to 0.80%. BMC reported that 6,80,035 samples have been tested to date with a 19.34% positivity rate. As per BMC's war room report, 122 of 912 ventilator beds were vacant, while 231 of 1431 ICU beds were vacant.

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