Pune: PMC building may turn into a coronavirus hotspot

Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) building itself may turn into a 'hotspot' for COVID-19 infections if proper precautions are not taken by the corporators and health workers.

Around 108 PMC employees and health workers along with some corporators and their relatives have been tested positive for COVID-19 disease so far. Out of these 44 are the house-keeping staff. Of the total 108, 53 have recovered and 45 are still under treatment, while 10 workers have died due to Covid-19.

Politicians and several other employees have frequently visited the PMC building in the recent past. 98 corporators were set to lose their membership as they had skipped three consecutive General Body (GB) meetings of the PMC due to lockdown in the city. To save their membership, around 162 corporators came to the PMC building on Wednesday (June 18) to attend the GB meeting.

Although they wore masks and sanitisation was carried out, social distancing norms were not followed. Some of the corporators who attended this GB meet were from the containment zones declared by the PMC itself. Surprisingly, the GB was conducted even when prohibitory orders were in place restricting gathering of more than 5 persons at any time any place.

Mayor Murlidhar Mohol had adjourned the GB meet citing fear of the spread of coronavirus in the central hall of PMC. "More than 100 members are gathered in this hall and the central air conditioning system is also on. We are visiting different areas in our constituencies every day. We have taken precautions but if the coronavirus infection happens here it would have major implications. Thus, I am adjourning the meeting," the Mayor had said.