Covid-19 lockdown: Curbs at 4 red zones in Delhi likely to be eased by May 3

Health department officials in the two districts said that the situation in all four zones is under control and the probability of further local transmission of the virus is close to none.

By May 3, when the nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end, at least four containment zones in Delhi are likely to become eligible for scaling down of containment measures, according to government data.

Delhi currently has 99 containment zones. (Ajay Aggarwal/HT file photo)

Under the guidelines of the Union health ministry, containment measures in the red zones can be “scaled down if no secondary laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 case is reported in the geographic quarantine zone for at least four weeks after the last confirmed test has been isolated and all his contacts have been followed up for 28 days.”

Delhi currently has 99 containment zones.

Delhi government on Monday announced two new containment zones, taking total tally to 99 from 97. The newly added containment zones are Pillanji village in New Delhi district and affected areas — Nirankari Gali, Nakshtra Gali, Nala Boring Gali, Ravan Wali Gali, Jameela Masjid Baoli, dargah gurudwara wali Gali, Thane wali gali and Terminal Gali — in South district, near Mehrauli.

The containment zone in south Delhi was formed after two persons engaged in food distribution had tested positive. The Pillanji village was declared containment zone after five Covid-19 positive cases were reported from the area between April 17 and April 25.

Till date, one red zone has been de-contained in Delhi. Last Friday, the government scaled down containment measures in East Delhi’s Mansara Apartments, exactly 28 days after the first and only case of Covid-19 was recorded in the zone.

The four containment zones that are likely to become eligible for scaling down of containment measures are Mayurdhwaj Apartment in IP Extension, Vardhman Apartment in Mayur Vihar, the sealed portion of lane number 4 in Krishnakunj Extension, and four blocks of Dilshad Garden. While the first three come under the East Delhi revenue district, the fourth comes under the Shahdara revenue district.

In the four of them, the last case of Covid-19 was recorded between April 1 and April 5, which essentially means they will become eligible for reduced containment measures between April 29 and May 3, provided no fresh case is recorded in the next few days.

Health department officials in the two districts said that the situation in all four zones is under control and the probability of further local transmission of the virus is close to none.

Similarly, at least three more containment zones are likely to become eligible for relaxations by May 10. The areas are — Shahjahanabad society in Sector 11 of Dwarka, Deenpur and Ashok Nagar. While the first two come under South West Delhi revenue district, the third comes under West Delhi.

In Shahjahanabad society and Ashok Nagar, no fresh case or any case of local transmission was recorded since the first case was reported and the areas were sealed on April 8, said government officials, adding that Deenpur witnessed local transmission, the latest having been recorded on April 12.

“We have conducted community tests in all three of these red zones and the results were favourable. The results suggested that transmission did not occur,” a senior official of the health department said.

Containment zones are areas in which all routes are sealed and residents are directed to maintain strict quarantine. Door-to-door health checks are conducted periodically and sanitisation is scaled up. Community tests are conducted in these areas. All shops are closed and the district administration ensures doorstep delivery of essential goods on a daily basis. The size of the zone may range from a part of a lane to a cluster of several blocks of a locality. The area contained is directly proportional to population density and scale of an outbreak among other factors.

A senior official said that after the zones are de-notified, barricades would be removed and shops selling essential goods around them would be allowed to open. However, residents are still recommended to stay indoors and undergo health check follow-ups under the protocol for the same.