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Mumbai municipal commissioner Iqbal Chahal said on Friday that there is no imminent need for a lockdown or further restrictions because the bed occupancy rate, oxygen requirement, and the number of COVID-19 deaths are all minimal.

Mr. Chahal told a Marathi news channel that the decision to impose lockdown during the first and second waves was based on the case positivity rate, but that this criterion could not be used for the third wave, which began on December 21, 2021.

Only fully vaccinated passengers are allowed to board local trains, he claimed, so no extra restrictions were needed.

Mr.Chahal said, “The criterion in the first and second wave was the positivity rate. But in this wave of Omicron variant of the virus, two new criteria should be occupancy of hospital beds and oxygen requirement.”

He claimed the administration has only implemented a few limitations so far, such as a prohibition on gatherings of five or more people at night and the closure of schools in the city.

Only 1,180 people were hospitalized and 110 were on oxygen support out of nearly 20,000 people who tested positive for coronavirus in Mumbai on Thursday, according to the BMC chief.

"At least 83 percent beds are currently vacant and oxygen requirement is not even 10 percent. During the second wave, we used 235 MT of oxygen (per day). Considering these factors, there is no need for lockdown in the current situation," Mr. Chahal said.

“Lockdown cannot be imposed only on the basis of numbers (COVID-19 cases). It depends on how many beds are vacant in our hospitals, how much oxygen is required, and how many deaths are taking place. These are more important,” he further added. He admitted that the positive rate has increased dramatically since December 21 of last year.

The commissioner said, “We are keeping a close eye on the situation. I personally review things three to four times a day.” 

According to him, only unvaccinated Omicron patients require oxygen assistance. The head of the civic body, on the other hand, cautioned against complacency. Omicron infection is not the same as the flu, but it is a virus, he explained, asking people to follow COVID-19 guidelines and wear masks.