Mumbai's Dharavi reports highest daily cases since October

Mumbai's largest slum cluster Dharavi on Monday reported 18 COVID-19 cases, the highest daily figure since October and a steep rise from the mostly single digit cases it was logging over the past few days.

A senior Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said the area's caseload has gone up to 4,166.

Dharavi had reported 16 new cases on February 26 this year.

The first coronavirus case in Dharavi was reported on April 1 last year, nearly 20 days after the first patient was found in Mumbai.

On December 25, the area had reported zero positive cases for the first time since the outbreak.

A BMC ward officer said the reason for the rise in cases was because the civic body had begun to aggressively test all suspected cases once again.

"We are aggressively testing as many people as possible to curb the spread. Our teams are specifically identifying crowded areas including religious places and ensuring adequate tests are done," he said.

Spread over 2.5 sq km, Dharavi is considered as Asia's largest slum and has a population of over 6.5 lakh. It also home to various small-scale enterprises of leather, pottery, and textiles.