UP health dept tweaks strategy for swift action

LUCKNOW: Fresh coronavirus cases from new areas in the state capital have made the health department change its strategy and mark ‘quick containment zones’ in the affected localities.

The strategy includes declaring a 250-metre area as a containment zone and a 400-metre area as a buffer zone. Earlier, such zones were declared when more than four cases were detected, that too on consecutive days. But now action is being taken on the very first day.

“The idea is to stop cases at the very beginning, right from the first case,” said chief medical officer, Lucknow, Dr Narendra Agrawal.

That’s how five containment zones came up in just past two days as part of the changed strategy.

These new containment zones are in New Gulista Colony and

Malhaur in Chinhat, Aishbagh, New Hyderabad and the area around Fatima Hospital in Nishatganj/Mahanagar.

The city has over a dozen containment zones at present, including Qaiserbagh Sabzi Mandi, Valmiki Vihar, Chik Mandi, GRP Lines, Barood Khana, Daroga Kheda, Sarojininagar, Para, the area around Charak Hospital and Maulviganj.

While the older containment zones are big, the new ones are smaller. The house or building where the first case comes to light becomes the epicenter of the quick containment zone.

Initially, Lucknow had 22 containment zones, but the number reduced as no case was reported from 12 of them over a period of time. “Containment zones have worked. No movement is allowed out of houses in a 250metre area while another 400metre circumference remains

the buffer zone. Only restricted activity is allowed in the buffer zone,” said a senior health official. He said the changed strategy will certainly work.

“Social distance is the key to containing cases and this can be ensured by making containment zones quickly after the case is reported. This will help Lucknow that has now reported over 400 cases till now,” said Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary general, Association of International Doctors.