Coronavirus Pune: COVID-19 cases surge as PCMC limits testing numbers 

The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) face major trouble as COVID-19 cases have gradually increased and spread in the 181 sqkm of the area, worsening the situation. 

Earlier, on May 22, PCMC reported 265 coronavirus cases, which has now drastically risen to more than 600 positive cases. The situation has gotten worse since people have begun moving out of their homes, as the calibrated lockdown exit was declared despite the low rates of testing.

In the initial weeks of May 22, lockdown relaxation had already begun in the municipal area of Pimpri Chinchwad, in comparison to the other areas, since it was the first one to get rid of the red zone level of restrictions in the Pune Metropolitan Region (PCMR). Some limited services including transportation and other businesses were also first commenced in the Pimpri Chinchwad area by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML).

According to the data issued by the health department, the very first coronavirus positive case in the PCMC limits was recorded on March 11, and the count rapidly increased to 12 by the month-end. The total number of cases further increased gradually to 113 in the month of April. By May, the total cases rapidly hiked to 522. There was a sudden upsurge in COVID-19 cases after May 22, when the total cases recorded was 265.

As per the recently available data, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has limited its testing rates to just 115 tests in an average over the period of 10 days.

As stated by the experts, the only way to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus disease is detecting the cases as early as possible followed by rapid testing. Till now, around 306 individuals per lakh of the population has been tested by the PCMC as compared to the other adjoining areas of Pune Municipal Corporation which is around 1,107.

Over 220 out of the 679 cases have been reported from Anandnagar slum area in the civic limits.