Lockdown in Pune: dates and restrictions
A lockdown is to be implemented in Pune for 10 days starting 14 July, amid hopes of containing the Covid-19 situation.
Following a meeting held by Deputy Chief Minister and Pune District Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar and several senior officials, a decision has been made that Pune district is going into a 10-day lockdown from 14 July till 23 July.
The meeting was aimed at assessing the Covid-19 situation and its wide and uncontrollable spread, besides deciding the right measures that could help curb the virus as the confirmed case count has been alarmingly rising in recent weeks.
Numerous Indian states and districts have resorted to similar measures lately such as imposing a lockdown and curfew to control the situation, and Pune joined the list of districts bringing back restrictive measures to deal with the chaotic scene resulting from easing lockdown restrictions earlier.
Thane district had earlier announced imposing a similar 10-day lockdown from 2 July till 12 July before Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) announced on Friday it was extending the restrictions till 19 July as the case count continued to surge.
Similarly, a lockdown in Kalyan Dombivali was supposed to end on 12 July, yet was extended till 19 July, while a lockdown in Mira Bhayandar will be enforced till 18 July instead of 11 July.
More restrictions in the next two days
Pune Collector Naval Kishore Ram noted that more details on the lockdown measures are to be provided within the next two days, while governmental offices remain open and shops supplying essential goods keep operating under specific conditions. He added, “The aim is to break the chain of the spread, especially the invisible spread, of the virus that is not being detected through testing.”
Areas where the lockdown will be effective:
The lockdown is set to be applied in the jurisdiction of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations, Khadki and Dehu Road cantonments along with 22 villages in semi-urban areas.
Pune's worsening situation
Pune district has so far recorded a tally of 35,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases - with 1,921 cases reported on Friday alone - while 985 patients passed away following contracting the infection.