BMC leases vacant buildings in Mumbai to use them as isolation centres

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday decided to use vacant buildings in the wake of lockdown such as marriage halls, vacant hotels, hostels, colleges, community centres, gyms, clubs, and exhibition centres to use them as isolation centres so that people can be quarantined if required.

The places will be paid reasonable rent for usage.

As per the order issued by BMC Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi, the places will be used to quarantine people who came in contact with those who have tested positive for coronavirus. However, people who would be kept at these place are mere suspects as they came in contact with the COVID-19 patients.

The order also said that BMC will arrange food and basic facilities for people living in quarantine.

On Monday, BMC took a U-turn on its order that said that dead bodies of coronavirus patients will only be cremated and no burial will be allowed. The order was withdrawn minutes after Maharashtra Minority Development Minister Nawab Malik intervened in the matter.

"Burial will not be allowed. The funeral should not involve more than 5 people. All the dead bodies of COVID-19 patients should be cremated at the nearest crematorium irrespective of religion. The rituals involving touching the body should be avoided," the order read.

Coronavirus cases have climbed to 302 in Maharashtra. 3 cases reported in Ahmednagar, 59 in Mumbai, 2 in Pune, 2 in Thane, 2 in Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, 2 in Navi Mumbai and 2 in Vashi Virar, State Health Department informed on Tuesday.