COVID-19 in Delhi: Authorities mark micro-containment zones to control surging cases

Amid a dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases in Delhi, some district authorities have set up micro-containment zones, where two or more infections have been reported, for better management of the coronavirus pandemic.

Normally, an area is marked a containment zone after three or more COVID-19 cases are detected. "But it is a dynamic exercise, conducted by district authorities on a need-based manner," officials told PTI.

The Delhi Epidemic Disease COVID-19 Regulation, 2020, authorises district magistrates to seal off a geographical area, banning entry and exit of the population from the containment zone and to take any measures directed by the health department to prevent the spread of the disease.

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Micro-containment zones have been formed in the southwest and northwest districts, while other districts were also using a flexible approach to ensure restricting virus transmission in the best possible way, a senior Delhi government official said.

The southwest district magistrate on November 25 issued an order for setting up of micro-containment zones in view of "large scale outbreak" of the novel coronavirus in the district.

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"To contain the further spread of the disease, it is hereby ordered that micro-containment zone shall be formed upon detection of two or more COVID-19 positive cases in the same house/building/in the vicinity of each other," stated the order.

According to the data, there are 4,980 containment zones in the city with the maximum 863 in the southwest district. In the northeast district, too, authorities have been using two or more cases criteria to carve out more micro-containment zones.

Read: Home Ministry issues fresh COVID-19 guidelines for surveillance, containment

Meanwhile, Lt Governor Anil Baijal also directed authorities to take "exemplary and deterrent action" for violation of SOPs, especially in crowded markets.

At a meeting of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Baijal directed officials to ensure timely hospitalisation of COVID-19 patients under home isolation in case of emergency to reduce the mortality rate in the national capital which has recorded over 100 daily deaths in seven of the last 13 days.

Also read: Delhi LG directs timely hospitalisation of patients under home isolation

Delhi on November 23 recorded 5,246 fresh COVID-19 cases, while 99 more fatalities pushed the city's death toll to 8,720. According to the bulletin, the total number of coronavirus cases climbed to 5,45,787, of which 4,98,780 have recovered. There are 38,287 active cases of COVID-19 in the national capital.