Mumbai, April 8: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi has said that BMC has placed an order for 80,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to combat Coronavirus. The BMC Commissioner even added that currently that they have on 15,000 PPEs, which is not enough to fight with coronavirus in the metropolitan city.

Elaborating about the latest update, Praveen Pardeshi said, as quoted by Indian Express, "We have 15,000 PPEs. They are not enough. We have given an order for 80,000 more and, fortunately, private planes from big corporations have lined up to pick them up and bring them here. I don’t have a transport problem. Wherever there is a supply, they are willing to pick them up." Indian Railways Expedites Efforts to Produce PPE Overall Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, Aims to Make 1000 Coveralls Daily.

Apart from the above information, the BMC Commissioner said that they would begin conducting ‘Rapid Antibody Test’ for its 5,000 health workers to check COVID-19. In the first phase, nurses, paramedics, ambulance drivers and BEST bus drivers ferrying essential services staff among others will be tested. In the test, plasma for antibodies will be screened that the body develops against the virus.

Based on the results, BMC would divide the health workers into two categories –- one who have tested positive for the antibody will work at four COVID-19 hospitals, while others will be appointed for administrative and data crunching work in epidemiology cell, among others. PPEs include items such as gowns, respirators, face masks, safety-footwear harnesses, eye protection gear and gloves.

It is to be known that Mumbai has witnessed more than 640 COVID-19 cases, out of which 40 have been declared dead. Meanwhile, BMC has carried out 890 tests per million and attributed to aggressive approach to tracing rather than reacting. India is currently in the middle of a 21-days nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the deadly virus that has already claimed 124 lives in the country.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2020 10:10 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).