Containment zones back in Darj, J'guri districts as cases rise

SANKHA GHOSH, SNS, SILIGURI, 5 JANUARY 2022: Given the rise in Covid-19 cases, the district administration in both Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts has announced six areas, including four in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC), as containment zones.

According to administrative sources, the zones have been declared in areas where several Covid cases have been reported front.

It may be mentioned here that the 47 wards under the SMC will go to the polls on 22 January.

According to officials, the zones fall in ward 19 (Netaji Girls' School Road, Loknath Mandir Road at Subhas Pally), Ward 14 (Rajiv More, Saradamoni Road at Ashram Para), and Ward 25 (Milan Pally circular road near Gourio Math) under Darjeeling district. Parts (Mud 39 under Jalapiguri district have also been brought under the containment zones.

"The Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH), Jalpaiguri, is requested to take up all health-related containment measures. He is also requested to take up early testing tracing and tracking of suspected cases for better clinical management of such cases,— a notification issued by the Jalpaiguri district magistrate yesterday says.

The notification has also asked the Siliguri police commissioner to take up all required measures for effective enforcement of the containment steps.

The Darjeeling district administration has aslo announced two areas of the Atharokhai gram panchayat under Matigara block as containment zones today. The order has been enforced with immediate effect and will remain in force till 12 January, it is learnt. The block had yesterday reported 32 new cases of Covid-19, while it today reported 47 positive cases, sources said.

Officials said outsiders will not be allowed to enter the containment zones.

Meanwhile, the Kalimpong district administration has also declared micro containment zones at Yangmakum and Kagey.

Darj district cases up

In a further spike in Covid cases, Darjeeling district recorded 165 fresh cases. The Siliguri Municipal Corporation area, covering 14 wards of Jalpaiguri district, registered 106 cases. The corporation area covering 33 wards of Darjeeling district reported 96 cases. Forty-seven persons tested positive alone at Matigara, sources said.

Mask-up campaign 

The Siliguri Metropolitan Police has arrested 191 people front different police stations areas for not wearing face masks and flouting the Covid protocol yesterday.

Mask awareness drive

The Matigara Social Welfare Organisation conducted an awareness drive at Matigara today. The secretary of the organization, Dr Malay Bagchi, said they had sent across a message to people about following the Covid protocol so as to protect themselves and their family members from. The working president of the organization, Pradip Deb, said they had distributed masks to people without them.