With Panvel reporting its highest single-day surge yet, the administration has decided to shut down the vegetable market in APMC and the meat and fish market at Panvel Koliwada completely until further orders.
The Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) had earlier sealed around 60 retail shops for flouting safety norms and warned of stricter action.
“The highest single day surge till now was 96, but on Monday, 131 cases were reported. Hence, it has been decided to shut down these markets as huge crowds gather here on a daily basis. We have been appealing to people to follow physical distancing, but it is not being done so we have to take stringent action,” Deputy Commissioner Jamir Lengarekar, PMC, said.
Panvel has a population of close to 10 lakh people who get their supplies of vegetables and meat from the APMC market. The retailers in the area buy the essentials from the Panvel APMC.
“The retail shops won’t be shut but we will keep watch over them. If any shop is found flouting norms, it will be sealed,” Mr. Lengarekar said.
After the easing of the lockdown on June 5 and the reopening of all shops on June 8, the number of positive cases had started increasing. “Free movement of people and not following safety norms had led to the rise in the cases,” Mr. Lengarekar said.
In the first half of June, the average cases found were around 40, which gradually increased. The total cases are now 2,014. With four deaths, the death toll is now 76 and with 61 recoveries, the total recovery is 1,248.
Panvel tehsil, which includes the rural areas, has reported 55 new cases, taking the total to 898. Eleven people were discharged, taking the total recoveries to 534, and one death took the toll to 20.
Meanwhile, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation reported 227 new cases, taking the total to 6,427. Two more people succumbed, taking the death toll to 207, and 102 were discharged, taking the recoveries to 3,632.
