Mumbai qualifies for 'level 1' of unlocking, but will remain in 'level 3' till 27 June, says BMC

Mumbai: Mumbai will continue to remain in ’level 3’ of the coronavirus-induced restrictions till 27 June even though the city’s COVID-19 positivity rate and oxygen bed occupancy have come down and it is eligible to be upgraded to ’level-1’, the local civic body has said. The Maharashtra government earlier this month announced a five-level plan to ease restrictions as per weekly COVID-19 positivity rate and oxygen bed occupancy. As per the government order, cities and districts which have a positivity rate of five percent and the oxygen bed occupancy of less than 25 percent come under level-1, where curbs can be lifted completely. The level-3 category is applicable for places where the positivity rate is five percent to 10 percent and the oxygen bed occupancy is more than 40 percent. In Mumbai, the positivity rate has come down to 3.79 percent and the oxygen bed occupancy is 23.56 percent, the BMC said. A civic order said even though Mumbai is eligible to be upgraded to ’level-1’, the current curbs will remain considering the population density and geography of the city, the local train commuting from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to the city, and the threat of a possible third wave voiced by medical experts. The local train services here are currently being run only for those under the essential and emergency services category. As per the Maharashtra government’s order of 4 June, municipal corporations and districts have been notified as independent administrative units and they can take decisions on categorisation for unlocking as per the criteria laid down by the government.