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Updated: Apr 24, 2020 17:07 IST

The number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive cases in Mumbai crossed the 4,000-mark on Thursday, as the data shared by the state government’s ministry of health and family welfare showed that 1,100 new cases were added to the tally in only three days.

On April 20, Mumbai crossed the 3,000-mark, as the total count climbed to 3,032. The city has recorded 419, 232, and 522 Covid-19 positive cases on April 21, 22, and 23, respectively. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities are facing a big challenge to contain the rapid surge in the number of Covid-19 positive cases. Mumbai breached the 1,000-mark almost a month after an Andheri-based couple became the first to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease, from the city. On April 16, Mumbai’s tally crossed 2,000 and since then it has risen to 4,205 as on Thursday evening.

Covid-19 related deaths, too, are steadily rising in the city over the past few days. Mumbai recorded 28 fresh deaths over the past three days. The first death related to Covid-19 was reported in the city on March 17 when a 64-year-old man passed away at Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Disease. The toll crossed 100 in 27 days, which has since risen to 167 till Thursday evening. At least 80 people, who have succumbed to Covid-19, are senior citizens.

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The civic authorities attributed the rapid surge in the number of Covid-19 positive cases to aggressive testing. “The rate of tests in Mumbai is much higher than Kerala, Karnataka, and Delhi. We’ve also traced around 95,000 contacts of Covid-19 patients and many of them have tested positive,” said Pravin Pardeshi, commissioner, BMC.

The civic health department’s data showed that Mumbai has tested 55,000 swab samples, which tops Tamil Nadu (59,000), Gujarat (33,000), Delhi (27,000), and Kerala (21,000).

The civic body authorities also screening all senior citizens, especially those who are living in slums. “Senior citizens, who have not tested Covid-19 positive but suffer from co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, are being screened on a door-to-door basis by teams of doctors and accredited social health activist (ASHA) workers. If necessary, doctors will refer some of them to a dispensary in the vicinity for further treatment,” Pardeshi added.