Uttar Pradesh redefines Covid rules, containment radius around active cases reduced

As various social and commercial activities re-open, the Uttar Pradesh government has redefined parameters of containment zones for coronavirus (Covid-19) disease,

As various social and commercial activities re-open, the Uttar Pradesh government has redefined parameters of containment zones for coronavirus (Covid-19) disease, shortening the radius around positive cases. According to the district administration, with the smaller area under the redefined containment zone, the concept of neighbourhood watch will be all the more important.

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In his directions for urban areas, Uttar Pradesh chief secretary RK Tiwari said that micro containment zones will be those wherein one house has one or more than one Covid-19 case. In addition to the house where the infected person lives, adjacent houses on either side will be included under the micro containment zone. He said all people living under such micro containment zones will be tested for Sars-Cov-2, the strain of coronavirus which has caused the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier, as per directions issued on July 24, a radius of 100 metre of a mohalla, whichever was less, was declared a containment zone if one case was found. If more than one case was found, the radius was 200 metre. An additional buffer zone also had to be created on the basis of local assessment by officials.

“Since the government has now defined micro containment zones, lesser manpower resources will be required for their management. In such a case, the earlier concept of neighbourhood watch, which we had introduced during the start of home isolation, will play an important role. The neighbours will be asked to keep track of Covid-19 patients and inform the district administration accordingly,” said Ajay Shankar Pandey, district magistrate, Ghaziabad.

“However, regular monitoring and surveillance by the respective incident commanders (executive magistrates) will continue for better monitoring,” he added.

The new directions have also specified cluster containment zones. The order said that in case multiple houses get positive cases, the containment area will be extended up to one house adjacent to the last affected house. This will be considered as a cluster containment zone, where strict perimeter controls will be undertaken based upon assessment by local administration. All people in these houses will be tested as per protocol.

The Indian Council for Medical Research in its advisory on September 4 has advised for 100% testing in containment zones.

The directions have, however, remained almost similar but with minor changes to the existing directions for sealing in high-rises and multi-storeyed buildings as part of containment zones.

For the group housing as well as the multi-storeyed buildings, the state government’s directions say that if one floor has active Covid-19 cases, the entire floor will be sealed. in case floors have cases then only those floors which have Covid-19 cases will be sealed.

According to previous norms, if several floors in a tower have active cases, the entire tower was to be sealed.

The new directions also said that if Covid-19 cases are detected in more than one tower of a high-rise society, the respective towers along with common areas such as parks, gyms, swimming pools and community centre etc., should be sealed.

The directions also clarified that in case a house has multiple cases, it will be considered to be having one instance, and it will be considered as one containment zone.

“The parameters of containment zones have been redefined but no fixed radius has been directed for in the new directions given by the government. However, this will help other residents whose movements were earlier restricted as part of the containment zones. The revised guidelines will also be helpful to us in taking up 100% testing in containment zones. Earlier, the zones were bigger and required a huge workforce for testing and surveillance,” said an officer from the district health department, who wished not to be named.

According to official records of the district administration, there were 231 containment zones till October 4 in Ghaziabad. On the other hand, Gautam Budh Nagar had 295 containment zones till October 5.