After a lull of more than a year, the industrial city of Pimpri-Chinchwad near Pune is witnessing a rise in Covid positive cases. The city has seen at least 20 cases a day in the last 15 days and there were 203 active cases by Tuesday. Till March 9, the city did not have a single active case.
“There is a slight rise in Covid cases in the city. The rise has been seen since last month. We are seeing at least 20 positive cases a day,” said Dr Laxman Gofane, who heads PCMC’s medical department.
The PCMC administration, however, said the patients who have tested positive for Covid had mild symptoms. “As a result, many of them are in home isolation. So far, only three patients who had severe symptoms have been hospitalised,” Dr Gofane said.
The first Covid case in Maharashtra was reported in Pimpri-Chinchwad on March 10, 2020. Soon after, the city in the next two years registered as many as 4,630 Covid deaths.
In view of the anticipated rise in Covid cases, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) said it had issued directions to the medical and health department to keep men and machinery ready to tackle the situation as it emerges. “We are keeping a plan ready to tackle the emerging situation,” the administration said. Last week, Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh held a meeting with top officials and doctors and directed them to keep the infrastructure ready to tackle any rise in the number of Covid patients.
The PCMC administration has urged the public to wear masks in crowded places. “Social distancing is mandatory. If anyone has Covid-like symptoms, he should immediately report to the nearest civic hospital,” Dr Gofane said.
