Delhi declares eight more containment zones, total at 55

On Tuesday, 51 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in the city, taking the tally to 1,561. The death toll increased to 30, as two more died of the virus.

The Delhi government on Tuesday declared eight more areas as containment zones in the capital, taking the total count of sealed areas to 55.

People queue to collect food distributed by the Delhi government during the lockdown, at Gandhi Nagar, in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, April 14, 2020. (Sushil Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Three of these are located in South East Delhi’s Khirki Extension, Chirag Delhi and Sangam Vihar, one each in Central Delhi’s Bara Hindu Rao and Nawab Ganj, one in South West district’s Janakpuri, and one each in North East district’s Shastri park and H block of Jahangirpuri.

On Tuesday, 51 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in the city, taking the tally to 1,561. The death toll increased to 30, as two more died of the virus. The government has directed all district magistrates to declare containment zones if there is a clustering of cases.

Two new Covid-19 clusters were detected in Azad Market in Bara Hindu Rao area and Nawab Ganj in Central Delhi. Sadar Bazaar, Chandni Mahal and Nabi Karim are existing clusters. A senior district official said, “10 persons, including nine of a family, have tested positive for Covid-19 in Nawab Ganj, while three cases, including a death, have been reported from Azad Market in Bara Hindu Rao.”

Pandit Mohalla and Jain Mohalla of Chirag Delhi were declared as a containment zone after a resident, who has a milk shop in Khiri Extension, tested positive. The person had come in contact with a patient, a resident of Khirki Extension, and tested positive on April 10. “He (the milk shop owner) also came in contact with 13 other persons,” read the order issued by Sudhakar, SDM, Hauz Khas.

Two lanes of Chirag Delhi and street where the milk shop is located in Khirki Extension will be sealed till April 27. Two cases were reported from Chhuriya mohalla in Sangam Vihar and two lanes in the area have been sealed, besides Gali No 1, 2 and 3 that were sealed earlier.

The district administration decided to seal the entire C-2 block of Janakpuri after three people of a family tested positive. There are close to 600 households, with a population of over 3,000 and a playschool in proximity to the house where residents tested positive. The C-2 block, which is located centrally, has 32 independent houses.

A three-storeyed house in North East Delhi’s Shastri Park was declared a containment zone after two people of a family tested positive. According to Shashi Kaushal, district magistrate of north east Delhi district, “A woman, who is undergoing cancer treatment at Rajiv Gandhi hospital, had tested positive a few days ago. Her daughter tested positive today (Tuesday). 15 members of the family who have been placed in home-quarantine. We have declared just one house as a containment zone. Neighbouring houses will not be affected by this.”

Three lanes in H-block of Jahangirpuri were declared a containment zone, besides the two blocks where four cases and one death were reported.