COVID-19 cases surge in Mumbai
Between February 15 and March 15, the city has recorded 31,106 new cases of Covid-19, of which 18,903 were reported in March alone, the Hindustan Times reported. Mumbai’s Covid growth rate shot up to 0.42% on March 15, from 0.15% reported on February 15. The doubling rate — the number of days it takes for the number of cases to double —was 165 days on March 15 compared to 455 days on February 15, according to the Hindustan Times. The surge is because of lack of precautionary means such as wearing masks or social distancing, according to experts.
Source: Hindustan Times
Mumbai needs to vaccinate more
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday sought approval for starting more vaccination centres to expedite inoculation in the state and demanded that Mumbai-based Haffkine Institute be allowed to produce the Covid-19 vaccine, the Hindustan Times reported. Uddhav Thackeray has also directed the district officials to vaccinate three lakh every day so that inoculation of the priority group can be completed within the next three or four months. The state on Wednesday carried out 2,74,037 vaccinations, its highest ever.
Source: Hindustan Times, Times of India
Read more: COVID-19 mitigation measures have led to the neglect of one of Mumbai’s top killers
Highest number of millionaires in Mumbai
Hurun India Wealth Report 2020 released Tuesday has identified that India is home to 4.12-lakh dollar-millionaire households and Mumbai tops the chart followed by New Delhi, Times Now reported. According to the report, there are 16,933 millionaire households in Mumbai, which contributes about 6.16 per cent to the country’s GDP, with New Delhi in close pursuit with 16,000 (4.94 per cent contribution to GDP), followed by Kolkata at 10,000.
Source: Times Now
Call for probe on Mumbai-Pune Expressway Toll
The Bombay high court might direct Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to conduct a thorough inquiry into toll collection on Pune-Mumbai Expressway, the Times of India reported. “We propose to direct CAG to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a report,” a bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Girish Kulkarni told Times of India. The court has not received satisfactory replies on actual cost of construction between 1997-2000 and maintainence till 2004, when a 15-year contract began.
Source: Times of India
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Electric Victoria Carriages to ply in Mumbai
The Maharashtra Chief Minister has launched electric victoria carriages in Mumbai. In the first stage, these will be launched in South Mumbai and cover the Gateway of India, Nariman Point, Flora Fountain, Kala Ghoda, Marine Drive and Girgaum Chowpatty. On the weekends, these battery-operated tongas will take you on heritage tours. Tourists can either opt for the shorter route priced at Rs 500 or the longer route at Rs 750, for booking an entire 6-seater tonga. Services will be operational from 4pm to 2am, the Free Press Journal reported.
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[Complied by Apekshita Varshney]