UT plans micro-containment zones to control Covid pandemic

CHANDIGARH: With a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases this month, the UT administration will start demarcating microcontainment zones in the city.

The issue was discussed during the review meeting chaired by UT administrator VPS Badnore on Wednesday.

UT adviser Manoj Parida said: “The administration will create micro-containment zones after mapping of new cases coming up in different areas. This will enable us to control the infection without causing much hardship to neighbouring areas.”

During the meeting, Badnore directed Arun Kumar Gupta, principal secretary, health, to focus on micro-containment areas and enhance contact tracing, particularly focusing on source of infection.

Under the policy, even three to four houses together within a sector or colony can be designated as micro-containment zone. Strict perimeter control will be imposed on these areas. As per discussions held on Wednesday, these measures will be deemed to be over if there is no positive case reported for 14 days in the zone.

“However, the UT administration is awaiting fresh guidelines of the central government on containment zones. After examining them, the policy will be implemented in Chandigarh,” said a senior UT official, requesting anonymity.

Significantly, as per the original central government guidelines

on containment zones, perimeter restrictions could be removed after 28 days of the last positive case reported. In Punjab, whose micro-containment zone policy has helped shaped Chandigarh’s plan, containment operations are stopped after 10 days of no positive case.

MEASURES UNDER NEW POLICY

The administration decided to go in for a change in strategy after more than 500 cases were reported in July. Also, while in

the initial stages, the spread of the disease was localised in a few pockets such as Bapu Dham Colony, now the cases are being reported from several areas.

The strategy would be to contain the disease within a defined geographical area by early detection, breaking the chain of transmission, and thus, prevent its spread to new areas.

“This will include geographical quarantine, social distancing measures, enhanced active surveillance, testing all suspected cases, isolation of cases and

home quarantine,” said an official. “It will be ensured that there is no unchecked outward movement of population from micro-containment zone except for maintaining essential services. All vehicular movement and public transport will be restricted.”

Under the policy, extensive contact tracing will be ensured in the zone. House-to-house screening will be carried out on daily basis. Random stratified sampling can also be undertaken, said the official.