Rajesh Tope: COVID-19 will be contained in the next 15 to 20 days in Mumbai

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Friday expressed confidence that Mumbai will see a sharp decline in COVID-19 cases in the next 15 to 20 days.

Tope said joint secretary of the  Union Health Ministry Lav Agarwal was in the city on Thursday to discuss the situation here.

"All ward officers were present at the meeting, which was also attended by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. We discussed corrective measures that were being taken," the minister said.

Agarwal suggested that containment zones be properly demarcated and contact tracing, testing and treatment of positive patients should be done in these areas, Tope said.

Early detection will bring down the mortality rate, the minister said, adding that the government plans to increase institutional quarantine facilities."The Centre wants us to increase disease surveillance in the congested areas to stop the spread of the virus," he said.

With the steps taken by the government, the pandemic will be contained in the next 15 to 20 days in Mumbai, the minister assured.

The state government plans to rope in workforce from other departments if the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation falls short of manpower, the minister said, clarifying that there was no shortage of funds.