Coronavirus: These areas in Pune to be sealed from midnight today

Pune, April 6, 2020: As the number of Coronavirus positive has been increasing every day, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to seal some areas in Pune where 37 positive cases have been found. In all these areas it is mandatory for people to wear masks.

As per PMC officials, the areas include from Mahrishinagar, Gultekdi, Sahakarnagar, Parvati, Dattawadi, Marketyard, Swargate, Guruwar Peth, Shukrawar Peth, Ganesh Peth, Bhavani Peth, Kasewadi, Ghorpade Peth, Mominpura, Nana Peth, Raviwar Peth, Rasta Peth, Somwar Peth, Mangalwar Peth, Kasba Peth, Shaniwar Peth, Sadashiv Peth, Narayan Peth, some parts of Camp to Regional Transport Office (RTO), and some parts of Kondhwa. Barricades will be put up and people will not move out for the next few days. Police will be deployed to take action against people. All these steps are being taken as per containment plan to deal with Coronavirus outbreak. People engaged in essential services will be allowed to move out or move in these areas. Essential commodities shops will remain open.

PMC Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad issued the order and directed local police stations to enforce the containment plan. “These steps are being taken as large numbers of infected patients are from these areas. Everyday numbers of positive cases are increasing even after taking several measures to prevent the spread of COVID19. Therefore, health emergency is being declared in Pune as more stringent steps are needed now.”

Geographic quarantine (cordon sanitaire) strategy calls for near absolute interruption of movement of people to and from a relatively large defined geographic area where there is single large outbreak or multiple foci of local transmission of COVID-19. In simple terms, it is a barrier erected around the focus of infection.

PMC Commissioner further added in his order, “Therefore we are restricting movement of vehicles and people in these areas which are being sealed. All people living there have to compulsorily wear masks. All Peth areas between Mahrishinagar to RTO, some parts of Kondhwa, as well as some other areas under different police stations (as depicted in the map) are being sealed from April 6 midnight till further order. Some other areas will be sealed in future in phases keeping in mind number of Corona patients in those areas. Therefore, people are requested to stock necessary things for at least seven days.”

 There were 41 new cases on April 6 in Pune district mostly in Pune city areas. Total number of positive cases in the district has reached 142 including 97 in PMC areas.

The areas sealed are depicted in this map.