Employees travelling from Navi Mumbai to Mumbai for work have added to the number of coronavirus cases in Navi Mumbai. Therefore, the Navi Mumbai police commissioner has suggested that the employers in Mumbai should make arrangements to accommodate their employees from Navi Mumbai so that their commute is avoided.
Of the most recent 180 positive cases reported last week, a significant 90 per cent patients are essential-service staff travelling from the satellite city of Navi Mumbai, to Mumbai on a daily basis.
The Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be discussing the issue with hospitals and Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) so that some arrangement can be reached with their employees.
Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar took to social media requesting essential-service staff to avoid daily commute and request their employers to arrange for their accommodation nearby, in case their presence at work is crucial. Kumar pointed out that by travelling from the satellite city to Mumbai daily and back, these employees were putting their own lives and that of their families at risk.
It is reported that about 4,000 to 5,000 bank employees travel every day from Navi Mumbai to Mumbai, as the banks are rotating 33 per cent of their staff. A similar risk to health exists for doctors, nurses, hospital attendants and police personnel as well.
Efforts are also being made to ensure that vendors and traders who travel to Navi Mumbai from the nearby villages and towns are made to stay in Navi Mumbai so that they do not spread the infection.
