Lockdown in Pune not to be extended beyond July 23; some curbs to stay

The ongoing strict lockdown in Pune will not be extended beyond July 23, but there will be some restrictions in place in the city to curb the spread of coronavirus, a district official said on Monday.

Addressing a press conference, district collector Naval Kishore Ram said the lockdown restrictions, which are in place in the city until July 23, will not be extended.

Authorities imposed a strict lockdown from July 14 until July 23 after the western Maharashtra city witnessed a surge in Covid-19 cases.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Trade Associations of Pune (FTAP), warned of protest if the lockdown is extended beyond July 23.

"There is unanimous decision to not extend the lockdown after July 23. However, in the coming days, we will be enforcing some measures to reduce crowding in the city.

"We are checking if some sort of measures can be undertaken on weekends to avoid crowding on the roads. We areseeing how can we control crowding during weddings and other ceremonies," said Ram.

He added during the lockdown, the administration almost doubled testings in Pune district, leading to a spike in coronavirus cases.

Meanwhile, Fatechand Ranka, the president of FTAP, said his federation has submitted a letter to the district administration, warning of a "strong protest" if the lockdown is extended after July 23.

He said FTAP has sought permission to allow shops to remain open between 10 am and 8 pm from Monday to Friday and their closure on Saturdays and Sundays to avoid crowding.

Pune district has registered more than 50,000 cases of coronavirus and over 1,300 deaths so far.