Coronavirus: Chandigarh declared containment zone

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 18

Chandigarh Administration has declared the district to be a containment zone---a development that comes a day after two more coronavirus cases took the union territory’s cases to 23.

UT Adviser Manoj Parida said in his latest tweet: “Since in Chandigarh corona outbreak is scattered and not confined to a specific pocket, area, village or cluster, entire district has been declared as containment zone”.

The development would mean that testing would be ramped up in the city, officials said. Health authorities will actively track down cases and conduct tests according to established procedure. Containment operation will come to an end only 28 days from the date the last case in the city tests negative.

The UT currently has 12 active cases.

A press release said the Chandigarh Administration was drawing up a detailed plan for containment.

“He (UT Adviser Manoj Parida) also stated that as per Government of India’s directions, outsiders entering the city will be quarantined for 14 days either in homes or in Government Facilities to prevent spread of infection from outside.  He, however, stated that this will not apply to neighbouring residents coming for government duty or essential service,” the release said.

In a series of tweets, Parida said UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore was concerned about two sanitation workers testing positive in Chandigarh’s Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research.

“Monday sector 26 Mandi will remain closed. No distribution of fruits or vegetables by government bus. You can buy from local shops from 11 to 3 as usual,” he tweeted.

“Governor extremely concerned about infection among health workers. Orders strict following of protocol and complete sterilisation of all hospitals and regular monitoring by team of doctors of premises and practices,” he said in another tweet. “Active corona cases now 12.Pray it decreases.”

Chandigarh reported two more cases on Friday---a woman from Sector 30 and a man from Dhanas who was employed as a sanitation worker in PGI.

Additionally, another sanitation worker at PGI is was a resident of Nayagaon, also tested positive, adding to Mohali's case count.

The development comes two days after the central government named Chandigarh among the 170 hotpsots---red zone districts---for coronavirus.

The central government had asked all states to roll out strict lockdown and containment measures in the red zone districts to enable these to turn orange and finally green. Likewise, the Centre has asked states to ramp up testing and contact tracing in orange zone. The idea is to prevent these districts from turning red.

The classification of districts is based on the scale of current disease burden in a given district and the rate at which the cases are doubling.

What is a containment zone?

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare defines the containment zone as a specific geographical area where coronavirus cases are found.

The administration imposes strict restrictions on movements in such areas to prevent further spread. These zones are primarily aimed at mapping local transmission of the disease and prevent the contagion from spreading.