Containment zones back like in 2020 -The year 2022 was “2020 too”.

The administration with the help of local bodies will deliver daily needs such as food or medicines at the doorsteps of houses

A micro-containment zone being set up at ward 11 in Bankura on Tuesday.: Rupesh Khan

Snehamoy Chakraborty, Subhasish Chaudhuri   |   TT  |  Bolpur/ Kalyani   |  05.01.22: 

The year 2022 was “2020 too”.

Micro and broad containment zones returned to most Bengal districts, including Calcutta, with residents and officials saying the scenario “reminded” them of early 2020.

Health officials said despite micro-containment zones being adopted all over the country, rural areas and districts could be directed to start containment zones that report more than five positive cases within three days.

“When we contain a flat or a housing complex, we call it micro-containment zones. In the case of metro cities, it is the best option. But in districts there are paras or mahallas (localities) where macro or broad containment zones are necessary and so they are back,” said a senior state government official.

Under norms, the containment zone is declared in an area where four or more Covid cases have been reported within three days.

An official in Nabanna said the movement of residents in containment zones would be restricted till the areas are declared free of infections. Outsiders will not be allowed to enter the containment zones, while roads leading to broad containment zones will be kept blocked for common people.

The administration with the help of local bodies like panchayats or municipalities will deliver daily needs like food or medicines at the doorsteps of houses or housing complexes marked as containment zones.

Till Tuesday afternoon, the state government had announced 52 micro-containment zones in South 24-Parganas, 41 each in North 24 Parganas and Howrah and 33 in Hooghly.

In the case of Purulia, Bankura and East Burdwan, the number of containment zones varied from three to four. In Bankura, the district administration had identified four broad containment zones, where the officials went and blocked off roads while assuring provisions would be given by civic bodies to local residents.

Purulia and East Burdwan also reported three broad containment zones.

The districts also have micro-containment zones. The containment zones were in play till August last year, shortly after the surge of the second wave. There were very few containment zones in the state till October.

Till Tuesday, the state had recorded 9,073 positive cases across the state with districts like Calcutta, North 24-Parganas, Howrah and South 24-Parganas recording the maximum number of cases.

In North 24-Parganas, Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation had the maximum number of containment zones. Till Tuesday afternoon, the BMC had 15 such restricted zones, followed by Panihati Municipality with seven. Both South Dumdum Municipality and Baranagar Municipality had six micro containment zones each. Habra-I block had two, Barrackpore-II block had two and North Dumdum Municipality also had two micro-containment zones.

In Howrah, most containment zones have been marked under the jurisdiction of the Howrah Municipal Corporation. The administration has marked 20 micro-containment zones in prime civic areas, followed by 15 in Jagatballabhpur block. Bally municipal area, Domjur, and Sankrail have two micro containment zones each, whereas Panchla and Amta have one each.

In Nadia, the district administration has announced five micro-containment zones including two in the Kalyani subdivision, and one each in the Ranaghat, Tehatta, and Krishnagar Sadar subdivisions. The district had recorded 80 cases till Tuesday.

In Haringhata, a BSF camp under 112-Battalion was identified as a micro containment zone following four personnel testing Covid positive on Monday.