Mumbai: Ahead of third Covid-19 wave, BMC urges citizens to get tested early

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday urged citizens to get tested early if they have any symptoms or they come in contact with any Covid-19 positive person in view of the expected third wave.

The BMC has issued detailed guidelines for Covid-19 testing from time to time. In view of the expected third wave of Covid -19 and the relaxations in the restrictions, Covid -19 testing has to be implemented all over Mumbai strictly, BMC officials said.

"The delta variant of Coronavirus has already spread to 11 countries so far, including India, raising fears that it could drive the next wave of infections across the world. The progression of illness seems to be prevented by vaccination but early diagnosis is the key to prevent the spread of the disease as well as the recovery of the patients and to reduce the hospital stay. Hence, BMC has established over 250 testing centres, which include municipal dispensaries, maternity homes, and ward offices where free Rt-PCR and Antigen testing is available to citizens," said a civic official.

BMC said in a statement that the list of free testing centres was uploaded on the BMC website and is also available with ward war rooms.

"Citizen can find the nearest free testing center and time slots for getting themselves tested. Citizens are hereby requested to follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour, avoid going to crowded places without reason. If citizens come in contact with any Covid-19 positive patient they should get themselves tested for Covid-19 at the earliest,” the official said.

"Senior citizens, people with comorbidities (lung disease, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, diabetes, neurological disorders and blood disorders), pregnant women expecting delivery, patients on dialysis, cancer treatment," the BMC said in a statement.