BMC to seal buildings in north Mumbai’s slums and congested areas amid sharp rise in coronavirus cases

Mumbai: Buildings in congested areas and slums of north Mumbai will be sealed considering the rise in COVID-19 cases in the last 15 days, Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh said.During a visit to north Mumbai on Friday, the city top cop attributed the spread of coronavirus infection to the high population density here.North Mumbai, which includes Dahisar, Borivali, Malad, Charkop and Kandivali areas, has seen a sharp rise in cases in the last 15 days.Singh took stock of the COVID-19 count and precautionary measures taken by the police and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to contain the viral spread.Several cases have been reported from buildings located in slums and other high-density places, he said, adding that the police were sealing such structures and the results of these measures will be seen in the next few days.The city currently has 750 containment zones, of which 300 are located in north Mumbai alone, Singh said.Apart from this, the police have identified 27 hotspots and a strict lockdown has been enforced in these areas, he said.People should follow social distancing norms to break the chain of the spread and should wear masks, use sanitisers if they step out of their homes for any urgent work, Singh said.According to the BMC's data, Mumbai has so far recorded 72,287 COVID-19 cases, while the toll stood at 4,177.