E-Paper
No district in northeast in red zone; 6 districts in orange zone
While three districts in Assam have been included in the orange zone, two in Tripura and one in Meghalaya are also included in the same category. All other districts in the region have been placed in the green zone.
In what could be a relief for people in the region, no district in the northeast has been included in the red zone as per a fresh classification issued by the union health and family welfare ministry (MoHFW) on Thursday night.
While three districts in Assam have been included in the orange zone, two in Tripura and one in Meghalaya are also included in the same category. All other districts in the region have been placed in the green zone.
The list, which places all districts in the country in different categories based on rate of Covid-19 infections, will be valid for the week after May 3. In a letter to chief secretaries of all state union health secretary Preeti Sudan said the “list will be revised on a weekly basis or earlier”.
“It is heartening to share 30 out of 33 districts (in Assam) fall under green zone as per MoHFW categorization of India’s districts. Only 3 are put under orange zone and none in red zone. This is a cause for both cheer and caution. We need to remain vigilant,” Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.
Five districts in the state-Golaghat, Nalbari, Dhubri, Goalpara and Morigaon-had been earlier placed in red zone. Assam had recorded 42 Covid-19 positive cases till Thursday with 1 death, 32 recoveries and 9 under treatment.
Assam government had decided to place Bongaigaon district in red zone after 4 positive cases were detected on Thursday. But the district doesn’t get included in either red or orange zone in the fresh classification.
“The MoHFW list was prepared prior to detection of the new cases in Bongaigaon. The district could be placed in either red or orange zone in the fresh classification,” Sarma told journalists on Friday.
The MoHFW list categories districts based on number of cases, doubling rate, extent of testing and surveillance feedback. A district is placed under green zone if there are no confirmed cases are there is no reported case in last 21 days.
While districts placed in red zone have to comply with lot of restrictions on movement of people and economic activities there are some relaxations for those in orange and greed categories.
Two of the eight districts in Tripura-North Tripura and Gomati-have been placed in orange zone. The state had reported 2 positive Covid-19 cases, but both patients have recovered and have been discharged from hospitals.
Of the 11 districts in Meghalaya, only East Khasi Hills has been placed in the orange zone. All of the 12 positive cases detected in the state till now are from Shillong, the district headquarter as well as state capital.
While one positive patient in Meghalaya has died, of the 11 active cases 10 were tested negative in consecutive tests done on Thursday and Friday. The last active patient tested negative on Friday. A retest will be done on Saturday to confirm full recovery.
