Sec-22 mobile market may get micro-containment zone tag
CHANDIGARH: The bustling Sector-22 mobile market is set be declared a micro-containment zone. The Affected Area Committee has proposed designating the market, in addition to some areas in Manimajra and Dhanas, as micro-containment zones.
Punjab governor and UT administrator VPS Badnore will take a final decision on the issue, which is likely at Monday’s war room review meeting.
“While around 10 houses in Dhanas and Manimajra will be designated as micro-containment zones, the entire Sector 22 mobile market in front of the Sector-17 ISBT is also likely to be sealed,” said a senior UT official, privy to the development.
These three areas were discussed in the July 31 meeting of the Affected Area Committee, which comprises the deputy commissioner, municipal corporation commissioner and health experts.
“These areas were proposed to be declared micro-containment zones in the meeting. The recommendations have been submitted to the administration for a review by the administrator on Monday,” the official added.
In view of the sharp increase in Covid-19 cases in July, the UT administration had last week decided to demarcate micro-con- tainment zones and directed the Affected Area Committee to iden- tify areas for this.
Under the policy, even three to four houses within a sector or colony can be designated as microcontainment zones.
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Dhanas and Manimajra have the maximum active cases at 36 and 35, respectively. Along with Ram Darbar, which has 15 cases, the three areas account for 25% of the city’s active cases. Apart from Bapu Dham Colony, Dhanas and Manimajra are the only two areas with over 50 cases since the outbreak of the virus in March.
The mobile market in Sector 22, one of the most crowded and congested markets in the city, has also reported around half-adozen cases. Significantly, the UT estate office last week had sealed parts of two showrooms in the market on account of misuse. Both cases were processed earlier than the scheduled hearing in September following complaints of crowding and violation of social distancing norms.