Rattled by the number of cases in Mumbai, a mega initiative called 'Chase The Virus' has been launched to upgrade the level of contact tracing of COVID-19 positive cases.
Mumbai has close to 33,000 COVID-19 positive cases and 1,065 deaths.
The mission has been launched after a series of consultation between officials of Maharashtra government and BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation after the final go-ahead was given by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said that against every COVID-19 positive, 15 persons would be quarantined.
"When the Central team visited Mumbai, it was 1:3... it was scaled to 1:4, then 1:5 and it is now around 1:6, but we will now forcibly government quarantine 15 persons or close contacts against every patient," he said, adding that the focus would be on slums and containment zones.
"We want to break the chain....and go on top of the virus," Chahal said.
The civic chief had held detailed meetings with ward officers of the 24 wards. "Police are being deployed, buses are being made ready," he said, adding that a war room is operational in every ward.
Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta, Principal Secretary (Health) Dr Pradeep Vyas and Chahal briefed Thackeray on this initiative.
It may be recalled Thackeray was the first to use the term 'War Against Virus' when the COVID-19 cases were detected in Mumbai.