Containment zones to be smaller .... Nearly 340 such areas in Calcutta

Subhajoy Roy, TT, 14.05.20, Calcutta: Containment zones will become smaller and have fewer homes within its ambit, sources in the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) said on Wednesday.

A civic official said around 40 people from a Central Industrial Security Force barracks in Kidderpore have tested positive for Covid-19 but the CMC has not brought the road in front of the facility within the containment zone.

“Only the barracks have been declared a containment zone. Had it happened earlier, we would have stopped all movements on the road in front of the barracks and even in some adjacent lanes,” said the official.

“Now, things will be done more practically. Curbs are being relaxed.”

Earlier, the official added, 300 to 400 buildings around the one where someone would test positive would be brought within a containment zone. But now the count usually varies between 50 and 100.

CMC, Calcutta

A containment zone is an area where no outsider is allowed. No resident of a containment zone is allowed to go outside it. Police place barricades to mark the boundary of a containment zone. Groceries and essentials are delivered at the boundary.

There are nearly 340 containment zones in Calcutta.

According to a CMC official, the containment zone is created to survey all residents and find out whether anyone has influenza-like symptoms or severe acute respiratory syndrome and get him or them tested.