13 new cases of Measles and one more fatality have been reported in Maharashtra’s Mumbai. According to the city civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the number of infections this year has risen to 233 and the total number of deaths to 12.

On Wednesday, 30 new measles patients were admitted to civic or government hospitals in the city while 22 patients were discharged, the BMC said in a press release.

An eight-month-old boy from neighboring Bhiwandi died at a city hospital on Tuesday evening, taking the death toll in the city to 12 so far this year. The boy developed a rash all over his body on November 20 and was admitted to the BMC hospital on Tuesday evening but died within hours, an official statement said, adding that the cause of death would be clarified after the post-mortem.

The number of suspected measles cases detected so far this year has also reached 3,534 with 156 new suspected cases and synonyms such as fever and rash reported.

22 locations in 11 out of the 24 civic wards have reported measles outbreaks. But the 13 new confirmed cases are from seven different wards, including a ward in south Mumbai, the BMC said.

Officials have blamed the spike in cases on a gap in vaccination due to Covid-19. According to the national immunization program, the measles vaccine has to be administered in two doses – at 9 and 15 months of age.

“Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the vaccination got impacted. We have around 20,000 children who didn’t get the measles vaccine. We are tracking all these children and holding vaccination camps on priority,” Dr Mangala Gomare, executive health officer, BMC said.

According to the BMC, 113 of the 370 beds including oxygen and ICU beds earmarked for measles patients in 8 hospitals, are occupied.