A stringent implementation of the screening and testing protocol is now needed, particularly in the crowded containment zones

trative jurisdiction, have been forced to rope in revenue and police personnel to overcome the staff shortage.

Often, health workers avoid going for the intensive daily surveys and wait for suspected cases to emerge in the containment zones. The failure to establish trust and gain people’s confidence is another hindrance. A doctor in Bhopal recalls, “We went house to house in Professor’s Colony, the first containment cluster announced in

Bhopal. But most people did not want to meet us. Also, the containment zone was announced five days after a case was reported. The damage had already been done.” In Dharavi, when BMC officials found several residents reluctant to open up to the visiting medical teams, they enlisted some 150 local doctors to encourage the people to come forward.

Officials who manage clusters say physical containment of people is often the easier part, the real challenge being to identify suspected cases who, fearing testing, hospitalisation and social stigma, may not be forthcoming. The way to go forward is to successfully isolate positive cases, test all those they came in contact with, identify those with symptoms and scale up random testing. This will require stringent implementation of the screening and testing protocol, particularly in the crowded clusters, and abundant supply of reliable testing kits. The Delhi government says it will soon start rapid testing in the city’s containment zones and is procuring 100,000 kits for the purpose. Unless other states show similar intent, the national lockdown will fail to serve its critical purpose of limiting the spread of the deadly coronavirus.