PUNE: Deputy chief minister

on Saturday said the decision on lifting curfew from the city and

would be taken on Monday.

After to reviewing the coronavirus situation in the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR), he told the officers to take stricter measures in containment zones. He said people showing coronavirus infection symptoms in slum pockets should be put in institutional quarantine so that they could adhere to social distancing norms.

Pawar asked the officers to initiate requisition of hospitals, hotels and educational institutions if they had to shift high-risk people in the meeting held at Council Hall on Saturday, a week after he advocated strict measures, including imposition of curfew in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, to contain the coronavirus spread.

The divisional commissioner, collector as well as the municipal commissioners and the police chiefs of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad attended the meeting apart from the health officials. The deputy chief minister said, “With the rising cases and deaths in both these places, shopping malls will not be reopened.” He also said the decision on opening other shops would be taken at the state-level after evaluating the situation.

Pawar directed the police to take strict action against those violating the lockdown rules. He said those quarantined should be monitored strictly and food should be made available to them. He also stressed on relocating people from slums in the containment zones to safe shelters and provide food.

Pune divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar said the deputy chief minister assured that the granted funds of Rs55 crore would be made available to complete the construction of Sassoon hospital’s new building within two months. The deputy chief minister said in the meeting that the final decision on the proposal of Rs50 lakh fund in case of death of any health worker for the family of the deceased would be taken later.