Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has increased the number of micro-containment zones in the city from 66 to 74. Interestingly, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) campus has been removed from the earlier list of containment zones ahead of the convocation ceremony scheduled on September 10.
PMC Commissioner Vikram Kumar has issued the list of 74 new micro-containment zones on Thursday. The new micro containment zones will be sealed from Thursday midnight and citizen and vehicular movement in the containment zone will be restricted. The PMC is sealing an area or locality or society if more than five COVID-19 positive patients are identified in those areas.
Earlier, when the COVID-19 outbreak started it was largely limited to slum areas and hence the containment zones had most of the slums included. But now, the contagion has spread from slums to societies. This had another effect on COVID-19 management situation in the city in which the burden of institutional quarantine and isolation of patients has reduced with more and more patients opting for home isolation facilities.
The Hadapsar - Mundhwa ward of PMC has maximum micro-containment zones (11) followed by Kothrud - Bavdhan ward (9), Aundh - Baner (9), Dhankawadi - Sahakarnagar (8), Nagar Road - Wadgaon Sheri (7), Bibwewadi Ward office (5), Kasba - Vishrambaug ward (4), Warje - Karvenagar(4), Shivaji Nagar - Ghole road (3), Sinhgad ward office (3), Kondhwa - Yewalewadi (3), Bhavani Peth (2), Dhole Patil (2), Yerawada - Kalas (2) and Wanawadi - Ramtekdi 2.
Pune city has now surpassed the one lakh COVID-19 cases mark with the maximum number of active cases in India reported from the city. The first serological survey conducted in the city by the PMC and Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER) had revealed that about 51 per cent citizens from five high-incidence areas in the city have generated antibodies for the coronavirus infection which means they had been exposed to the contagion at some point of time without being symptomatic and tested.