COVID-19: Two civic bodies to seal borders from May 8

Mumbai, May 5 () Two major municipal corporationsadjoining Mumbai on Tuesday announced complete sealing oftheir borders, including prohibiting movement of peopletowards and from the metropolis, from May 8 to halt thecoronavirus spread.

According to letters issued by the municipalcommissioners of Kalyan-Dombivli and Ulhasnagar, residents whohave offices in BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) areaswill either have to shift to somewhere in Mumbai so that theycan attend work or will have to stay home.

There have been several COVID-19 cases in KalyanDombivli Municipal Corporation and Ulhasnagar MunicipalCorporation, where the source of infection was traced back toMumbai.

"The number of COVID-19 cases in these civic bodies isincreasing and to put a check on it, these civic bodies havedecided to seal their borders, said officials from the twocorporations.

The decision will come into effect from May 8, theysaid.

Residents from these civic bodies working in Mumbaiwill have to stay back in their houses as they will not beexempted from the sealing order, the officials stated.

They have some time. Residents can discuss with theiremployer and make some arrangement of staying in Mumbai.

"But we will not allow return of these people totheir homes until both civic bodies withdraw their decision.

The sealing of borders is aimed at reducing the numberof COVID-19 cases in areas under these civic bodies," theysaid.

Kalyan-Dombivli and Ulhasnagar are some of the earlytowns near Mumbai city that flourished with residentialcomplexes over a period of times and lakhs of people fromthere travel daily to Mumbai for work. NDRSY RSY