Complete lockdown in state hotspots: 9 to 10 places in Bengal set for complete lockdown ...Any place where even one active case had been reported considered a hotspot

A policeman stands guard at a toll plaza during a nationwide lockdown, imposed in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, at Santragachi in Howrah, West Bengal Friday, April 10, 2020. (PTI)

Pranesh Sarkar, TT, 11.04.20, Calcutta: The Bengal government will impose a “complete lockdown” in nine to 10 “Covid-19 hotspots” in the state, including parts of Calcutta, chief secretary Rajiva Sinha said on Friday.

“The spread of the coronavirus in Bengal has been contained within a limited number of areas. We have held a videoconference with the district magistrates of the areas concerned. We are working to enforce a complete lockdown in these areas,” Sinha said at the daily briefing at Nabanna.

Sinha said a “complete lockdown” meant that all roads and markets in the area would be closed, with no one allowed to enter or step out of the area, or even leave their homes.

He said the administration would ensure the supply of essentials to households in these areas.

To avert a panic reaction, the areas to be brought under the complete lockdown have not been named. Nor did Sinha say from when or how long the complete lockdown would be enforced.

Administration sources said that district authorities and civic officials would be working through the night to try and ensure the exercise could start from Saturday night.

The Karnataka government, which announced a complete lockdown in two wards in Bangalore on Friday, said it would be in force for two weeks.

In popular parlance, complete lockdowns have come to be dubbed the “Bhilwara model” — a reference to the stringent containment in the Rajasthan textile district that has produced “positive results”.

At Nabanna, the Bengal chief secretary said: “Inconvenience will increase but we have no choice. We are taking steps to ensure that people don’t face major hurdles in their daily lives.”

Sinha said the death toll from Covid-19 in Bengal stood at 5 on Friday afternoon, while the number of active cases was 89. 

He said that any place from where even one active case had been reported would be considered a hotspot and come under the “total lockdown”.

Sinha said: “We cannot reveal the names of these areas as it might create panic and lead to social and administrative problems.”

He added: “A micro-level plan is being worked out. Once the plan is finalised, the complete lockdown will be enforced.”

During the ongoing 21-day lockdown, shops and markets dealing with daily needs have been allowed to function normally and people have been free to visit these establishments to buy essential items.

Officials said that during the “complete lockdown”, the state government would try to ensure the supply of daily needs such as groceries, vegetables, milk and medicines at doorsteps.

“The government has allowed home delivery of essentials during the current lockdown. In the case of the hotspots, local shops or malls could be engaged to ensure door-to-door supply of essentials. The local network of ration shops is also likely to be used,” an official said.

“It’s likely that all the residents of these areas would have to go through a health screening by health workers from the civic body or the health department. The process might continue until the area stops reporting any fresh positive cases,” a health department official said.

He said the Bhilwara lockdown, announced long before the nationwide lockdown, involved the health screening of every resident.

“The results are visible now. No new positive cases have been reported from the district over the past seven days. If we can implement the complete lockdown properly in the (Bengal) hotspots, we can prevent the spread of Covid-19 into fresh areas,” he said.
(Courtesy, source and link- The Telegraph- https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/9-to-10-places-in-bengal-set-for-complete-lockdown/cid/1763990?ref=top-stories_home-template )