BMC tightens rules for housing societies amid rising COVID-19 cases; Read the fresh guidelines here

In the past two months, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) witnessed 90 per cent of new coronavirus cases have been detected from housing societies (high-rise buildings or residential buildings) only in the city. 

Of the 23,002 new COVID-19 cases reported across Mumbai in January and February, 90 per cent were from housing societies and the remaining from slums and chawls. Bearing this in mind, containment measures in residential buildings have been intensified by the civic body.

As a result, the BMC on Wednesday, March 10, tightened COVID-related norms for housing complexes and quarantine rules to curb the spread.

The civic body has directed officials to take stern action against those violating rules in such residential buildings that have more patients than in dense, cramped and slum areas.

Additionally, BMC has appealed to housing complexes to inform the administration about the violators of COVID-19 rules. The civic body now also plans to intensify the crackdown on restricted residential buildings. Those who flout home-quarantine rules will compulsorily be shifted to institutional quarantine and an FIR will be registered against them.

BMC officials stated that most of the norms in the revised order are the same as earlier, however, the leniency granted in the containment strategies after the number of cases declined will now be withdrawn.

In the new order, BMC stated that building with more than five patients will be sealed for any movement and will also have to declare their flats on notice boards. Meanwhile, buildings having less than five patients will be sealed only on the floors which have positive COVID-19 patients.

It will be mandatory to trace and conduct tests of all visitors to the affected buildings/ floors like domestic help/ housemaid, milk vendor, newspaper vendors etc. Ward offices have been asked to increase the number of tests. Apart from this, those who have come in contact with coronavirus positive patients, even if they have no symptoms, will compulsorily have to get tested on the seventh day from the day they suspect having come in contact with the patient.