Intensifying its fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the government has identified hotspots across the country. These hotspots will have stricter restrictions than those in a lockdown. Strict measures translate to more control over the transmission of the fatal virus and limiting the number of cases in an area.
As many as 284 districts have at least one COVID-19 case.
The positive coronavirus cases have seen a rapid rise in the last one week and this spike has prompted the government to chalk out and implement a 'cluster containment strategy' in the states where the threat of community transmission has increased.
In many cases where a patient has been tested positive for coronavirus but has no travel history and the source of the virus is yet to be traced has alarmed authorities about a possible community transmission.
A hotspot is an area in districts where six or more people have been tested positive for coronavirus.
The area is earmarked based on probability of high degree of spread and people's response to the call for stay at home.?
The Ministry of Health defines COVID-19 containment zones as the area where several positive cases of coronavirus are found. “The cluster containment strategy would be to contain the disease within a defined geographic area by detecting cases in the nascent stage, breaking the chain of transmission and preventing its spread to new areas. This would include geographic quarantine, social distancing measures, enhanced active surveillance, testing all suspected cases, isolation of cases, quarantine of contacts and risk communication to create awareness among the public on preventive public health measures,” said the Ministry of Health.
The difference between a hotspot and a containment zone is that the former are not seized but largely monitored for suspected cases. However, when a place is declared as containment zones, the areas are completely sealed, and no outdoor or indoor movements are allowed until permitted by the authorities.?
Delhi
Several pockets in the city have been declared containment zones, including parts of Nizamuddin, Dilshad Garden, Vasundhara Enclave, Kalyanpuri, Pandav Nagar, Krishan Kunj, Khichripur, Malviya Nagar, Sangam Vihar and Patparganj, according to news agency IANS.
Delhi government on Wednesday made it compulsory for people to wear face masks when stepping outdoors to combat the coronavirus spread.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain confirmed a total of 576 positive COVID-19 cases in Delhi so far, out of which 35 patients are in ICU and eight on ventilators.
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh has identified 15 hotspots which include Gautambuddh Nagar (Noida), Ghaziabad, Meerut, Lucknow, Agra, Kanpur, Varanasi, Shamli, Saharanpur, Firozabad, Bulandhshahr, Bareilly, Basti, Maharajganj and Sitapur.
All coronavirus hotspots in the 15 districts have been sealed till April 15 morning and only home delivery will be allowed.
A thorough scanning & sanitisation of houses will be carried out.
Maharashtra
The Brihanmumbai Corporation (BMC), the Mumbai’s civic body has so far identified more than 241 containment zones in Mumbai as of April 8. The authorities have also said that it will destroy entry and exit into those societies to contain the virus.
Madhya Pradesh
In Madhya Pradesh, 167 containment zones have been declared in 13 districts so far. The testing capacity has been enhanced to 700 tests per day.
Punjab
Containment zones have been made in Punjab's Mohali and Mauli Baidwan districts after two more people tested positive for coronavirus from these districts. Movement has been restricted in these areas. The village has been isolated by the residents of the village.
Karnataka
After Malavalli, Nagamangala taluk has also been declared as the containment zone, as the Delhi-based clerics, who had visited the town, tested positive for COVID-19.
Taluk administration will provide essential commodities like vegetables and fruits at their doorsteps.
Hyderbad, Telangana
Municipal authorities in Greater Hyderabad have set up 12 containment clusters to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has set up the clusters in Ramgopalpet, Shaikhpet, Red Hills, Malakpet-Santoshnagar, Chandrayangutta, Alwal, Moosapet, Kukatpally, Quthbullapur-Gajularamaram, Mayurinagar, Yousufguda and Chandanagar.
Other areas that have been identified as hotspots are Kasargod, Indore, Chennai, Yadadri, Ahmedabad, Kannur, GB Nagar, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Dindigul, Pune, Nellore, Erode and Guntur.