BMC to prosecute mask avoiders, quarantine jumpers as COVID-19 cases spike; 300 marshals to monitor Mumbai locals

Mumbaikars caught flouting the rules for home isolation, weddings and public gatherings as well as without masks will be prosecuted while buildings with five or more cases will be sealed, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said in a set of fresh directives issued Thursday. The BMC has also decided to appoint 300 marshals to take action against passengers travelling without mask in suburban trains. The order also directed to increase the number of marshals to 48,000 in order to catch 25,000 offenders every day. Besides marshals, the police too will able to take action against offenders. MCGM teachers too have been roped in to ensure the use of masks in MCGM-run buildings and take punitive action against offenders. Orders have also been passed to raid marriage halls, clubs, restaurants, etc, to ensure that COVID-19 norms are followed. “Action shall also be initiated against organisers and managements/establishments flouting rules laid down for organising weddings,” the order said. Passengers coming to Mumbai from Brazil will be put in compulsory seven-day institutional quarantine. The order also said that the number of tests will be increased in wards seeing a rise in the number of cases. The new directives were announced following a video conference of all additional municipal commissioners, zonal joint commissioners, deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners of all ward offices along with concerned officers. According to a statement released by the BMC, in comparison to June-July 2020, the spread of coronavirus in the city is still under control, however, there is need for strict vigilance following the rise in the number of cases. Here are the main highlights of the new directives issued today: 1. All asymptomatic patients undergoing home quarantine will be stamped, and legal action will be taken if they are found stepping out of their houses. The Ward War Rooms have instructed to closely monitor such patients by contacting them via landline telephone 5 to 6 times a day. Those who violate quarantine will be subjected to compulsory institutional quarantine. 2. Residential buildings with more than 5 COVID-19 patients will be sealed. 3. Use of mask is mandatory in wedding ceremonies, gymkhanas/clubs, nightclubs, restaurants, cinema halls, all religious places, playgrounds and gardens, public places, shopping malls as well as all private offices. Those violating the rules will be fined while establishments and managements will be prosecuted. 4. Ward officials are instructed to raid and inspect at least five halls, marriage halls. Violations will attract legal action against the organisers of the wedding/parents of the bride and groom. 5. Action will be taken against those not wearing masks properly and spitting in public places. The number of marshals to be across Mumbai to be double to 4,800. The target for punitive action has been increased to 25,000 citizens from the current average of 12,500 citizens. 6. Three hundred marshals (100 marshals on each line) will be deployed to take action against unmasked travellers on the Western, Central and Harbour Suburban Railway services. 7. The Mumbai Police are now being empowered to take action against unmasked citizens. The police can also act as marshals by imposing fines on the violators. 8. MCGM teachers will be deployed at all buildings, offices, hospitals, etc, managed by MCGM with powers to take punitive action against those roaming without masks. 9. Women marshals will be deployed along with male marshals to monitor all places of worship. Roaming without a mask, gathering of more than 50 people at a time or any such violation will lead to punitive action. 10. Action will also be taken against those found in playgrounds and parks without masks. 11. At least 15 close contacts per COVID-positive patient should be tracked and kept in isolation while area mapping has been advised to test the maximum number of people in wards with the rising number of COVID-19 cases. 12. Health check-up camps should be organised with the help of NGOs to identify suspects in slums, narrow settlements and densely populated areas. 13. COVID Care Centre 1 (CCC1) for high-risk contacts and COVID Care Centre 2 (CCC2) for asymptomatic patients – at least one of either centers shall be kept functional in each ward. 14. Adequate availability of regular and oxygen beds at Jumbo COVID Centres to be maintained. 15. Disaster Management Department should update information on COVID-19 patients, availability of beds and other necessary information from all government and private hospitals within the MCGM jurisdiction by collecting it every hour through the dashboard. 16. All passengers coming to India from Brazil will have to undergo mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine.