MUMBAI: Among the worst hotspots in the country during both the Covid-19 waves, Mumbai stabilised in May, but clearly not enough for shops and restaurants to keep regular hours.
The city falls in Level 3 as per the five-point system employed by the state government to relax restrictions.
Malls and theatres will remain shut, and restaurants can operate up to 4 pm, and that too at 50% capacity to ensure social distancing norms are observed.
Many had expected Mumbai, which has been recording a test positivity rate of less than 5% in June so far, to get into Level 2, which would allow shops, both essential and non-essential, to remain open through the day and a wider group of people to travel by the local trains.
The reason for Mumbai’s continued vigil is spelt out clearly in the state criteria.
Districts and corporation areas that have a weekly test positivity rate of less than 5% or oxygen bed occupancy of more than 40% fall in Level 3.
Mumbai in the May 28-June 3 week had a test positivity rate of 5.56% (to round it off, 5.6%) and occupancy rate of 32.51% for oxygen beds.
As any one of these two criteria can be used to dock the city or district into the Level 3 category, the state authorities have just done that.
“It is better to gradually acclimatize to the opening-up process,” said BMC additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani.
“Mumbai will be forced to go in for a gradual relaxation of norms,” he added.
As per the state rules, a regular review of the criteria will be conducted to assess whether a district can move from, say, Level 3 to Level 2.
Mumbai could in the next week or two get more relaxed norms.
State chief secretary Sitaram Kunte said that the public health department will release state-level data for oxygen bed occupancy and district-level data for positivity rate and bed occupancy every Thursday.
“In case a district has to be upgraded or downgraded to a level with fewer restrictions or higher restrictions, an analysis of a two-week moving average data and a clear trend has to be reflected and then a decision can be taken,” Kunte said.
“But that is when the problems could begin for a city such as Mumbai.
Overcrowding and congestion, and failure of people to wear a face mask or maintain social distancing, could lead to a rise in infection levels,” said a senior doctor at a civic hospital.