Mumbai's seroprevalence studies point to structural issues in urban planning and housing in the city, particularly in slums. Writing in The Wire Science, Patrick Lamson-Hall, Harshita Agrawal and Kadambari Shah provide policy recommendations for slum-upgrading and land-management reform. Excerpts below:

"The over-regulation of land-use, construction and density precipitates shortages in buildable land and floorspace, forcing the poor to compete for space. Indeed, such artificially created shortages have driven up the cost of land to an egregious extent. Today, as a result, 42% of Mumbai’s residents – close to 9 million people – can’t afford formal-sector housing and are left to live in high-density slum areas where physical-distancing is wishful thinking."

Read the full article here.