Half of Delhi's containment-zones could turn 'green' in 2 weeks
In a major sign of relief for residents of Delhi, half of the coronavirus containment zones in the national capital have been classified as 'orange' zones. A senior Delhi government official told Hindustan Times that 45 out of 92 containment zones have not reported a single case of COVID-19 in the last 14 days and could turn 'green' over the next fortnight.
'Focused action by administration paying off'
The official told the publication, "Our analysis of the containment zones implies that the focused action taken by the administration in containment zones is paying off." If the 45 zones do not report any fresh cases over the next two weeks, they could be classified as 'green' and about 2.5 lakh more people could feel a sense of normalcy return to their lives.
13 out of 45 zones in South District
Reportedly, out of the 45 zones, 13 are located in Delhi's South District. Notably, two of the containment zones located in the Central Delhi District are key as they house 1.7 lakh people. These two zones are Sadar Bazar and Nabi Karim, both famous for wholesale marketplaces. The people here have been living under a "hard lockdown" for over 40 days, HT reported.
Here's an updated list of containment zones in Delhi
What are containment zones?
Containment zones are areas where several COVID-19 cases are found and they hence face a strict quarantine. All entry and exit points in this defined geographical area are barricaded, along with internal lanes. People are not allowed to leave their homes as authorities conduct intensive contact tracing, house-to-house surveillance, and other clinical interventions. Only essential activities are allowed in these zones.
14 new areas added to containment zones
The Delhi government started notifying containment zones in late-March. Since then, 126 containment zones have been demarcated, which has now reduced to 92 with the removal of 34 such zones from the list. A week ago, the number of localities under containment zones stood at 80, however, the number has risen to 92 as more localities reported COVID-19 cases.
Delhi has reported 12,910 COVID-19 cases, 231 deaths
As of Saturday, Delhi has reported 12,910 COVID-19 cases, including 231 deaths. The city recorded 591 fresh infections amid a surge in cases. Across India, 1,25,101 have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Union Health Ministry. Among them, 69,597 are active cases while 51,783 have been cured or discharged. The nationwide death toll stands at 3,720.
