Published 16:00 IST, February 21st 2021
Pune imposes new guidelines amid COVID surge; Schools & Colleges shut till February 28
"No public movement except those involved in essential services will be allowed between 11 pm and 6 am", said Pune divisional commissioner as covid cases surges
Due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in Pune, all the schools and colleges will remain closed till February 28, said Saurabh Rao, Divisional Commissioner Pune division on Sunday. 849 new Corona cases surfaced in Pune on Saturday after which the government has come up with the new guidelines that will be effective from February 22, he added. Rao said the decision was taken as 'advance precautions' and in a meeting chaired by the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar.
Saurabh Rao said that private coaching institutes and classes where physical interactions take place will be closed and libraries will be allowed to operate with 50 per cent capacity because of the approaching competitive exams.
The Divisional Commissioner said that there would be 'No Public Movement' from 11 pm to 6 am, unless necessary.
"From 11 pm to 6 am night curfew has been imposed in the district and no public movement will be allowed except for those involved in essential services like Newspaper distributions, vegetable sellers, those visiting hospitals. However, unnecessary movements will be completely restricted during this period. The decision has been taken as an advance precaution. The timings of the hotel's bars and restaurants have been reduced and they are now allowed to remain open till 11 pm", he told ANI.
Pune district ranks 12th in positivity rate in Maharashtra. The total number of cases in Pune has reached 3,97,431. The number of active cases stands at 2,561, of which 160 are critical. On Sunday, eight more patients died due to the infection in the last 24 hours in Pune. A total of 6,235 people have died due to infection in the district so far. The death rate due to Covid-19 in the district is 2.40 per cent.
Maharashtra govt issues new SOPs
The Maharashtra government issued a fresh set of guidelines, authorising government bodies to follow the guidelines based on the assessment of the situation in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The new guidelines with regard to travelling, gatherings, Covid-19 testing and other social distancing norms will remain the same as issued by the state government on November 23.
The corona crisis in Maharashtra is deepening. Corona's active cases in the state have increased by nearly 29 per cent. In view of the increasing cases of Corona, the officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Body (BMC) have warned that the next 15 days are crucial for Mumbai (Mumbai). The Maharashtra government and administration is taking strict action in the city. Heavy fines are being imposed for not wearing masks and many buildings are sealed. Kerala and Maharashtra currently account for 77% of the total active cases in India.
(With ANI Inputs)
Updated 16:00 IST, February 21st 2021