Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar has mandated that all those who buy self-test Covid kits must show their Aadhaar card number to chemists. She called upon the people to take responsibility for their self-test and report to authorities if they are Covid-positive.
“Mandating Aadhaar card number for buying the kit does away with the question of where a person bought the test and when. Manufacturers will also be similarly monitored,” she said two days ago, during a media briefing.
As per official data, as many as 3,549 people tested Covid-positive out of the 1,06,987 Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) distributed in the area by January 13. However, by January 14, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) voiced a concern about Covid cases going unreported.
For this reason, the authorities have mandated registration of Aadhaar card numbers for the procurement. This may complete RAT for workers or individuals who do not have Aadhaar cards.
However, Pednekar assured that the move will also prevent the illegal sale of such tests that may be “unhygienic”. On questioning, she also said that the sale of online RATs will also be monitored, although she did not elaborate the details.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said it was the first civic body in the country to set up its own medical oxygen refilling plants, which would bring about 40 per cent savings as well as cut down travel time. The plant at Mahul has a capacity of refilling 1500 cylinders daily using 15 metric tons of oxygen, while 100-120 dura cylinders can be refilled at the facility set up at the racecourse in Mahalaxmi.
Regarding Covid-19, the official said that the situation was improving with most people having to quarantine at home for seven days with mild symptoms or sans any symptoms. However, she urged people to inform authorities or upload their positive reports on the portal to ensure that proper data is maintained.
Meanwhile, Mumbai, reporting a further dip in Covid cases, recorded 5,956 new Covid cases and 12 deaths on Monday. The total number of active cases in the city stood at 50,757 as of Monday evening. 83 per cent of the new Covid patients were asymptomatic.
Maharashtra recorded 31,111 fresh Covid cases on Monday, which is 10,216 less than Sunday. The state recorded 24 deaths on Monday. Maharashtra also reported 122 new Omicron cases today. Two oxygen refilling plants of the BMC at Mahul and Mahalaxmi areas in Mumbai were commissioned on Monday by Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray.
