Pune: Sinhagad Road area in Pune city has remained the hotspot for coronavirus infections with areas like Wadgaon Budruk, Anand Nagar, Manik Baug, Hingne Khurd and Janata Vasahat in Dattawadi emerging as the worst affected, which are also most densely populated localities, in the region.

Sinhagad road ward office of Pune Municipal Corporation recorded 104 new Covid-19 cases in a single day on Friday (July 31). This area also recorded five deaths on Friday. Most of the deceased persons were 50 to 70 years old. Two 70-year-old persons from Wadgaon Budruk, one 70-year-old person each from Anand Nagar and Janata Vasahat Dattawadi and a 50-year-old person from Hingne Khurd succumbed to COVID-19 on Friday.

Of the new Covid-19 cases reported on Friday, 30 were from Wadgaon budruk, 21 from Anandnagar and Manikbaug, 18 from Janata Vasahat, 17 from Hingne Khurd, 11 from Dhayari, 3 from Ganeshmala and 2 from Dattawadi area.

Sambhaji Khot, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of Sinhagad Road Ward of PMC said, “A total of 3154 patients have been found Covid-19 positive on Sinhagad road and 2188 patients have recovered so far. There are 893 active cases in the area. 73 deaths have been reported due to Covid-19.”

The coronavirus outbreak had started in the city in March with the first case reported from Wadgaon Dhayari area of Prabhag 33 under the Sinhagad Road Ward jurisdiction of PMC. After this case, the number of cases were relatively less in this ward office jurisdiction during the initial phases of lockdown but a spike was recently noticed when relaxations were given in the lockdown by the state government and PMC.

Especially after May 1, the number of cases had shot up. PMC had then declared Wadgaon Budruk area as a containment zone for a week from July 4 to 11. Only shops related to essential services were allowed to remain open in the area.