Mumbai Lockdown If Daily Cases Cross 20,000: Civic Body Chief To NDTV

Omicron is spreading in Mumbai mainly because of passengers coming from non-risk countries, said city's civic body chief Iqbal Singh Chahal.

Mumbai could see "stringent measures (read lockdown)" if daily Covid cases cross the 20,000 mark, the city's civic body chief Iqbal Singh Chahal told NDTV today in an exclusive interview, adding that 80 per cent of the daily cases are of the Omicron strain.

"Discussed lockdown with the Chief Minister. We are against stringent measures for now. If we cross 20,000 cases a day, could consider stringent measures (like lockdown)...Unlike in the past, determining factor for lockdown is not positivity rate but hospitalisation/bed availability," said Mr Chahal, informing that the city has 30,000 beds.

"Even if we get 10,000 beds occupied every day, we can handle it," he said.

The remarks come amid a Covid surge driven by the new Omicron strain in Maharashtra and several other parts of the country.