The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanaga Palike has announced 38 wards in the city as hotspots of the novel coronavirus. Randeep Dev, the Special Commissioner of the BBMP said that the number is subjected to change depending on the number of people that are going to test positive in the upcoming days.
As of now, Bengaluru has about 80 of the total 260 cases of the deadly virus in the state of Karnataka. Of the 80 confirmed cases, two of them have died and 31 have recovered. As the number of new cases refuses to stop, the BBMO has recognized 38 wards in the city as the hotspots. The definition of the hotspot has also been modified.
According to the new definition, a hotspot is an administrative area – a revenue village in rural areas or ward in the urban areas that have at least 1 positive case of the COVID-19 reported in the last 28 days i.e. from April 11th. Either one positive case or at least 50 primary contacts of the positive person should reside in the area.
The wards that have been identified in the Bengaluru city area Aramane Nagar, Radhakrishna Temple, Malleshwaram, JC Nagar, Hoodi, CV Raman Nagar, Hoysala Nagar, Domlur, Sampangiramanagar, Adugodi, Jnana Bharathi, Bapuji Nagar, Padarayanapura, JP Nagar, VV Puram, Girinagar, Singasandra, Begur, Hombegowda Nagar, Hadagoor, Suddaguntepalya, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Katriguppe, Goruguntepalya, Madiwala, HSR Layout, Shakambari Nagar, Chikkalasandra, Konankunte, Anjanapura, Hemmigepura, Garudachar Palya, Sanjaynagar, Maruthi Seva Nagar, Ramaswamy Palya, Vasanth Nagar and Sudhama Nagar.
However, only two wards – Bapuji Nagar and Padarayanapura have been sealed.
According to DR. Vijayendra, Chief Health Officer of the BBMP, a containment zone will be within a 3km radius of the residence of the person who has been tested positive. He also said there is no need to panic and categorically clarified that all the 38 wards are not going to be sealed. BBMP Commissioner, Anil Kumar said that the purpose of identifying the hotspots is to make it easier to trace the contacts of the person. He also said that it is only when there is a dramatic rise in the number of cases in the hotspot that the area will be sealed and declared as a containment zone.
What is a containment zone?
Ina containment zone, apart from restricting human mobility, there will be extensive surveillance, contact tracing and mass disinfection in the area. Some of the important things to know about a containment zone are:
- People in the zone will be surveilled for COVID-19 symptoms on a daily basis.
- If any symptom is detected, a medical team will arrive at the door-step and perform the verification. They will be further advised whether to be in home-isolation or to be shifted to the hospital.
- Microphones will be used to make announcements explaining symptoms and preventive measures.
- Temporary medical camps will be set up in the zone.
- Each and every contact of the ‘index case’ will be identified and shifted to hospital quarantine and are further tested.
- 108 Ambulances will be designated in the zone which is used primarily to transport COVID-19 cases or suspected cases.
- All the houses and places in the zone are disinfected through various measures.
Source: The News Minutes, TOI.
