Pune: A weekend lockdown, aimed at restricting the further spread of novel coronavirus, started in Pune district on Friday. It The weekend lockdown in Pune will continue till 7 am on Monday. The district administration also declared an order to that effect on Friday.

Owing to the rising cases of COVID-19, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has ordered complete weekend lockdown in the city. The PMC has notified that barring the essential services shops, other establishments and markets in Pune city will remain shut till April 30.

The weekend lockdown in Pune has come into force. The imposition of the weekend lockdown has been stringent and the streets of Pune wore a deserted look. People in Pune on Saturday woke up to a quieter outdoor and deserted streets as the COVID-19-triggered weekend lockdown was reinforced.

Shopping hubs and high streets that were once some of the Pune's busiest places on Saturday remained shut.

Public and private vehicles were off the roads in all areas including Shivajinagar, JM Road, FC Road, MG Road, Swargate, Deccan barring those carrying people who had ventured out to fetch essential products such as food and medicines.

Pune Joint Commissioner of Police Ravindra Shisave appealed the people not to travel and remain indoors, and stated that checkpoints have been set up in the city. Many areas in Pune also saw police intensifying the patrolling and installing barricades to prevent the unnecessary vehicular movement.

The country's worst-hit city of has already shut down restaurants, malls and places of worship and barred the movement of most people to control the pandemic.

On the other side, migrant workers were seen on large numbers at Pune Railway Station returning to their hometowns. Many believe that if the state imposes lockdownn like last year, it will be difficult to survive here.

Meanwhile, Pune city (Pune Municipal Corporation) on Friday witnessed 5,647 new cases taking the progressive total to 3,18,029 till date.