Pune Lockdown: Municipal Commissioner provides detailed bifurcation of the two phases

After the imposition of a total lockdown in Pune and neighboring districts, Shekhar Gaikwad, Commissioner, Pune Municipal Commission apprised about the bifurcation of the two-phased lockdown. Ealier in the day,  Pune district collector Naval Kishore Ram, on Friday, has announced a complete lockdown in Pune Pimpri-Chinchwad and some parts of Rural Pune from July 13 to 23.

Detailing about the two phases, Gaikwad spoke to ANI and said, "From 13-23 July there'll be lockdown in the city. It'll be in two phases - first between 13 to 18 July when only medical shops, dairies & hospitals will be allowed to remain open. Newspapers also allowed,".

"In the second phase, between 18 July to 23 July, medical stores, dairies, hospitals and essential services will be allowed to remain open," he added.

READ: Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar justifies Pune lockdown, says 'People don't follow rules'

Pune under 10-day lockdown

Earlier in the day, Pune district collector Naval Kishore Ram announced a complete lockdown in Pune Pimpri-Chinchwad and some parts of Rural Pune from July 13 to 23. Moreover, 22 villages have been identified in rural parts of Pune district where this lockdown will be implemented. The lockdown will be implemented in two phases between 13 to 18 July - when only medical shops, dairies and hospitals, newspaper delivery will be allowed to remain open, making it as strict lockdown. The second phase may not be as strict but only essential shops will be allowed to remain open. Maharashtra has 2,30,599 Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases with 9667 deaths.

READ: Coronavirus Live Updates: India's tally rises to 7,93,802; Pune put under 10-day lockdown

Pune's COVID-19 crisis

In past 24 hours, Pune district in Maharashtra reported its highest single-day spike of 1,803 new COVID-19 cases, which pushed its overall count to 34,399. The death toll in the district reached 978 with 34 more people succumbing to the infection on Thursday. A total of 581 patients were discharged from hospitals post-recovery across the district during the day.

"Of the 1,803 cases, as many as 1,032 were reported from the areas located in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits, where the number of patients has reached 24,977," said an official. With 573 new cases in Pimpri Chinchwad on Thursday, the COVID-19 count in the industrial township stood at 6,982. The number of coronavirus positive cases reported from the district's rural parts, areas in the Pune Cantonment Board as well as the civil hospital rose to 3,138, the official said.

READ: Coronavirus Live Updates: India's tally rises to 7,93,802; Pune put under 10-day lockdown

READ: Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and 22 nearby villages under complete lockdown from July 13 to 23