<p>With Dharavi recording average double-digit figures of Covid-19 infections for nearly a fortnight, the vaccination drive in this largest slum cluster of Asia is being accelerated.<br /><br />For the Maharashtra government and the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, the priority is to ensure that cases do not multiply in Dharavi like April-May last year.<br /><br />On March 8, Dharavi reported 18 cases – the highest in a day since October 2020.Between March 9-15, the Dharavi locality has reported 77 cases. Last Saturday, it reported 17 cases, while on Monday, 14 new cases came to light.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/pm-modi-to-meet-cms-on-wednesday-as-covid-19-cases-surge-962474.html" target="_blank">PM Modi to meet CMs on Wednesday as Covid-19 cases surge</a></strong><br /><br />The total number of active patients in Dharavi also breached the 100-mark and as of now, there are 133 patients undergoing treatment. The progressive total in Dharavi stands at 4,258 cases, according to BMC.<br /><br />Once a Covid hotspot, Dharavi, on an average, had been reporting single-digit infections till December 2020-January, 2021, but there has been a spike during February-March.<br /><br />According to BMC officials from G/North ward that administers Dharavi, the cases are scattered and not concentrated in pockets.<br /><br />“We have decided to speed up the vaccination drive in Dharavi and ensure that a large population is covered,” BMC officials said.<br /><br />Spread over 2.1 sq km, Dharavi – sandwiched between Central and Western suburban railway lines of Mumbai -- is a sort of mini-India, with over 7 to 10 lakh people staying and working here. However, several of them have migrated back to their hometowns waiting for businesses to start in full swing.<br /><br />The first Covid-19 positive case and death from Dharavi was reported on April 1, 2020, when a 56-year-old man died.<br /><br />Throughout April and the first fortnight of May, the cases zoomed but then it was brought down in June-July.<br /><br />In Dharavi, the BMC had adopted the 4Ts strategy - Tracing-Tracking-Testing-<wbr />Treating as part of the ‘Chase the Virus’ initiative to break the cycle.<br /><br />The way the situation was contained, it came to be known as the 'Dharavi model' and also earned the praise of the World Health Organisation and the World Bank.<br /><br />On December 25, Dharavi reported zero cases for the first time. It subsequently reported zero cases on January 22, 26, 27 and 21 and February 2 this year.</p>
<p>With Dharavi recording average double-digit figures of Covid-19 infections for nearly a fortnight, the vaccination drive in this largest slum cluster of Asia is being accelerated.<br /><br />For the Maharashtra government and the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, the priority is to ensure that cases do not multiply in Dharavi like April-May last year.<br /><br />On March 8, Dharavi reported 18 cases – the highest in a day since October 2020.Between March 9-15, the Dharavi locality has reported 77 cases. Last Saturday, it reported 17 cases, while on Monday, 14 new cases came to light.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/pm-modi-to-meet-cms-on-wednesday-as-covid-19-cases-surge-962474.html" target="_blank">PM Modi to meet CMs on Wednesday as Covid-19 cases surge</a></strong><br /><br />The total number of active patients in Dharavi also breached the 100-mark and as of now, there are 133 patients undergoing treatment. The progressive total in Dharavi stands at 4,258 cases, according to BMC.<br /><br />Once a Covid hotspot, Dharavi, on an average, had been reporting single-digit infections till December 2020-January, 2021, but there has been a spike during February-March.<br /><br />According to BMC officials from G/North ward that administers Dharavi, the cases are scattered and not concentrated in pockets.<br /><br />“We have decided to speed up the vaccination drive in Dharavi and ensure that a large population is covered,” BMC officials said.<br /><br />Spread over 2.1 sq km, Dharavi – sandwiched between Central and Western suburban railway lines of Mumbai -- is a sort of mini-India, with over 7 to 10 lakh people staying and working here. However, several of them have migrated back to their hometowns waiting for businesses to start in full swing.<br /><br />The first Covid-19 positive case and death from Dharavi was reported on April 1, 2020, when a 56-year-old man died.<br /><br />Throughout April and the first fortnight of May, the cases zoomed but then it was brought down in June-July.<br /><br />In Dharavi, the BMC had adopted the 4Ts strategy - Tracing-Tracking-Testing-<wbr />Treating as part of the ‘Chase the Virus’ initiative to break the cycle.<br /><br />The way the situation was contained, it came to be known as the 'Dharavi model' and also earned the praise of the World Health Organisation and the World Bank.<br /><br />On December 25, Dharavi reported zero cases for the first time. It subsequently reported zero cases on January 22, 26, 27 and 21 and February 2 this year.</p>