MUMBAI: Amid the growing number of Covid-19 patients in Pune city and Pimpri-Chinchwad, the Maharashtra government on Friday announced a 10-day lockdown there to contain the spread of coronavirus. The decision was taken in a meeting attended by the divisional commissioner and district collector, chaired by Maharashtra deputy chief minister and district guardian minister Ajit Pawar.

A senior official said that a detailed order would be issued in the next two days. The lockdown will come into force from midnight of July 13 and end on July 23. “A lockdown will be imposed in Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and some other areas of the district considering the rise in Covid-19 cases,” divisional commissioner (Pune division) Deepak Mhaisekar said.

The lockdown period between July 13 and July 18 would be stricter, wherein only milk shops, pharmacies and clinics will be allowed to operate. Emergency services have been excluded from the lockdown.

An official said that along with the cities of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, some parts of rural Pune would also be under lockdown till July 23.

The deputy chief minister said people should compulsorily wear face masks and use hand sanitizers. He said that the government decided to reimpose the lockdown due to the casual attitude of people and overcrowding on streets, leading to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.

Meanwhile, the government also roped in10 additional IAS officers in Pune to make the fight against coronavirus more effective in the second worst-hit city in Maharashtra. A total of 16 IAS officers are currently on COVID-19 duty in Pune.  

An IAS officer, requesting anonymity, said that sports commissioner Omprakash Bakoria has been appointed to trace contacts of coronavirus patients. A member of Maharashtra Council of Agricultural Education and Research, Sachiv Mane, would be looking after the testing department, Commissioner of Tribal Research and Training Institute Pavanit Kaur has been assigned for hospital bed management, while Agriculture Commissioner Pravin Divase has been appointed for essential services in Pune district.