Mumbai, July 10: The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday mentioned Dharavi, known as Asia's largest slum, among places where authorities have managed to break the chain of coronavirus transmission with concentrated efforts. Dharavi, once a hotspot for coronavirus (COVID-19) spread, has emerged as a successful containment model. Some 6.5 lakh people are estimated to live in Dharavi which is spread over 2.5 square kilometres, making it vulnerable for the community transmission. Maharashtra Reports Highest Single-Day Spike of 7,862 Coronavirus Cases, 226 Deaths in Past 24 Hours; COVID-19 Tally Jumps to 2,38,461, Fatality Toll reaches 9,893.

"There are many examples from around the world that have shown that even if the COVID-19 outbreak is very intense, it can still be brought back under control. In Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, South Korea and even in Dharavi...a densely packed area in Mumbai, a strong focus of community engagement and basics of testing, tracing, isolation and treating the sick is key to breaking chains of transmission and suppressing the virus," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. No Community Transmission of COVID-19 Yet in India: Health Ministry.

Reacting to praise, Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray thanked the WHO for recognising Dharavi's success and credit Dharavikars for it. This is huge for our very own Dharavi that has chased the virus. State Govt and @mybmc teams, along with NGOs, Elected Representatives and most importantly, Dharavikars! Let’s keep this going! Thank you @WHO for recognising their efforts, and will keep going on (sic)," Aaditya Thackeray tweeted.

Aaditya Thackeray Elated as WHO Lauds Dharavi For Breaking COVID-19 Transmission Chain:

Dharavi currently has 166 active cases and 1,952 patients have been discharged from hospitals following recovery so far. The slum area has so far reported 2,359 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The first coronavirus case was found in Dharavi on April 1, 20 days after the first case was found in Mumbai.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 10, 2020 11:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).