43 containment zones in Pune rural have been infection-free for 21 days

PUNE: There’s now cautious cheer emerging from the rural parts of Pune distict.
As many as 43 containment zones, spread across 13 talukas and over 100 gram panchayats, have not reported a single case of Covid-19 in the last 21 days.

That time period is crucial: Areas that have not registered a single case through 21 consecutive days can shed their ‘containment zone’ tag.
Hopeful officials, who credited surveillance and strict curbs for the drop in spread, said the challenge now is preventing fresh infections.
There are currently 91 active containment zones in the rural parts of Pune. The 13 talukas that make up the region have collectively reported 288 cases and eight deaths, at a mortality rate of 2.7%.
The talukas of Haveli, Shirur, Mulshi and Daund are the worst-hit. Fortunately, the spread of the virus has been limited to 105 gram panchayats, from a total of 1,398. The population of Pune rural is an estimated 40 lakh.
“The spread of Covid-19 has been relatively low in the rural parts. Regular surveillance and restrictions on movement helped. It’s an achievement, but we remain vigilant,” said Ayush Prasad, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Pune Zilla Parishad.
Many villages now have checkposts to screen migrants seeking entry. “Some 20,000 migrants, mainly from Mumbai and Pune, have arrived in the villages here. We have home-quarantined some and others have been placed under institutional quarantine. We’re closely monitoring the inflow of migrants,” Prasad said. Haveli taluka recorded some of the highest numbers: 98 positive cases and two deaths. It lies within a red zone.
“But nearly 65 patients in Haveli have recovered. There are 33 active cases undergoing treatment,” Prasad said.
Of the 43 areas in rural Pune that are set to emerge from containment, 20 are in Haveli.
The other 23 are in Shirur, Velhe, Maval, Bhor, Indapur, Baramati, Daund, Mulshi and Indapur talukas.