Covid-19 lockdown in Mumbai? Here's what Mayor Kishori Pednekar says

Mumbai, Jan 04: Amid rising Omicron cases, will there be a fresh covid lockdown in Mumbai? Yes, chances are highly likely. Mumbai could see lockdown like situation again, if daily Covid cases cross the 20,000 mark.

"We will have to impose lockdown in Mumbai if daily COVID cases cross the 20,000-mark," Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar told news agency ANI.

Mumbai on Monday reported 8,082 COVID-19 cases, the highest daily count after April 18, 2021, taking the caseload beyond the 8-lakh mark, while two more patients succumbed to the infection, the city civic body said.

Mumbai also reported 40 new cases of the latest coronavirus variant Omicron, pushing the number of such infections to 368 in the metropolis, according to the Maharashtra government's health department. The number of sealed buildings in the metropolis also showed an exponential growth as their count has surged to 318, though the tally of containment zones in slums and 'chawls' (old row tenements) stood lower at 11.

As cases are rising steadily, the BMC has decided to shut schools of all mediums for classes 1 to 9 and 11 till January 31, a civic official said.

Students of classes 10 and 12 are excluded from this decision which means they can attend schools in person.

Classes for students of 1 to 9 and 11 will continue in online mode, as directed earlier.