Two major municipal corporationsadjoining Mumbai on Tuesday announced complete sealing of their borders, including prohibiting movement of people towards and from the metropolis, from May 8 to halt the coronavirus spread.According to letters issued by the municipal commissioners of Kalyan-Dombivli and Ulhasnagar, residents who have offices in BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) areas will either have to shift to somewhere in Mumbai so that they can attend work or will have to stay home.There have been several COVID-19 cases in Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation and Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, where the source of infection was traced back to Mumbai."The number of COVID-19 cases in these civic bodies is increasing and to put a check on it, these civic bodies have decided to seal their borders, said officials from the two corporations.The decision will come into effect from May 8, they said.Residents from these civic bodies working in Mumbai will have to stay back in their houses as they will not be exempted from the sealing order, the officials stated.They have some time. Residents can discuss with their employer and make some arrangement of staying in Mumbai."But we will not allow return of these people to their homes until both civic bodies withdraw their decision.The sealing of borders is aimed at reducing the number of COVID-19 cases in areas under these civic bodies," they said.Kalyan-Dombivli and Ulhasnagar are some of the early towns near Mumbai city that flourished with residential complexes over a period of times and lakhs of people from there travel daily to Mumbai for work.
