Civic admin undertakes screening, contact tracing in Pune to contain spread of Covid-19

Screening of people residing at 650 flats has been done, says divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar

The Pune district administration along with the health officials are screening people for Covid-19 (coronavirus) who are residing in areas in a three km radius around residence of infected persons.

School students seen wearing mask as a preventive measure against coronavirus infection in the city on Thursday. (Ravindra Joshi/HT PHOTO)

According to divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar, screening of people residing at 650 flats has been done and the administration have mapped three kilometre radius of four different areas of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad through Global Positioning System (GPS).

Mhaiskar, said, “We have so far screened people residing in 650 flats and have appealed to local residents here to avoid going out if not necessary.”

The officials are visiting each residence and screening people for symptoms of Covid-19. Such persons are advised to stay indoors. Under the containment programme, the administration has set up check post and filters and screen visitors coming from outside these areas, say officials.

Process of contact tracing initiated

The officials of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is contact tracing those who tested positive for the virus. We are doing a day-wise detailing and then tracing the people the infected came in contact with, then we send a team of two to three people to their homes to check for symptoms, said officials.

The couple and their daughter came in contact with at least 43 people while returning to India. Some of those first persons they came in contact with have been tested positive for the virus. “In these areas, we are currently conducting surveys in the household and screening people as a part of our containment programme,” said Naval Kishore Ram, district collector.

Public garden closed down

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had shut down the Kranti Jyoti Savitribai Phule garden temporarily which is located in the vicinity of the housing society where the family affected with Covid-19 resides.

Ashok Ghorpade, head, garden department, PMC, said, “As per request from PMC’s health department the garden department has taken this temporary measure. Whenever the health department will give clearance, PMC will reopen the garden for public use.”