Due to the rising COVID-19 cases, a 10-day lockdown has been imposed in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad from July 14. Amid the lockdown, the administration has also shut liquor stores in the cities. However, it seems like the tipplers have already stocked alcohol at their homes as domestic and foreign liquor worth Rs 25 crore was sold in Pune and its surrounding areas within 3 days before lockdown, reported Marathi daily Loksatta.
One lakh litres of foreign liquor and 88,000 litres of domestic liquor are sold daily in the area. However, the state excise department observed that liquor sales doubled on Saturday, Sunday and Monday after the ban was announced on Friday afternoon.
Tipplers were seen gathering outside the liquor shops to buy alcohol on Friday, completely flouting the social distancing norms.
Meanwhile, Pune district reported 1,491 new coronavirus patients since previous evening, taking the number of cases to 41,326, a health official said on Tuesday.
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The death toll due to coronavirus in the western Maharashtra district reached 1,141 with 43 patients succumbing since Monday evening, he added.
"Of the 1,491 cases, 690 were found in Pune Municipal Corporation limits, which has recorded 28,676 patients so far," he said, adding that 728 patients were also discharged from hospitals.
521 new cases were found in Pimpri-Chinchwad area near Pune city where the case count now stands at 8,420.
(With PTI inputs)
