Coronavirus pandemic | How do people survive in sealed-off COVID-19 hotspots?

The Delhi and Uttar Pradesh governments have announced the containment of coronavirus hotspots in order to prevent further spread of COVID-19.

While the Delhi government has sealed 20 COVID-19 hotspots in the Union Territory, the UP government has applied curfew-like restrictions in certain districts. However, not the whole district has been sealed off — only those localities that are hotspots; that is, where COVID-19 positive cases have been detected in the past, the state administration said in a statement. In other areas, the lockdown will be in place as before.

The identified hotspots in UP include 22 clusters in Agra, 13 in Ghaziabad, 12 each in Gautam Buddh Nagar and Kanpur, seven in Meerut and four each in Varanasi, Sahanaranpur and Maharajganj. There are three hotspots in Shamli, Bulandshahr, Basti and Firozabad, and one each in Bareilly and Sitapur. State capital Lucknow has eight major and four minor coronavirus clusters.

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As the hotspots are sealed off, the restrictions in these pockets will be stricter than those under the lockdown already in place.

Unlike in the lockdown so far, people will not be allowed to go out to buy groceries. However, the administration will ensure doorstep delivery of items like vegetables and milk in these clusters, officials said.

So, how is life in the hotspot zone?

People are facing difficulties after more pronounced restrictions were put in place, Abhishek Singh, a resident of Agra — that has been declared as one of the COVID-19 hotspot districts in UP — told Moneycontrol.

The 25-year-old boy lives in Agra’s Kishorpura, which was sealed on April 8 after a family of five members was found COVID-19 positive.

“The police took the whole family, admitted them to SN Medical College and sanitised the whole area. The streets have been sealed and two constables are permanently stationed outside our street,” he said.

Also read | Coronavirus hotspots in Delhi, Noida - complete list

Abhishek further said an ambulance with paramedics came to take the family. Nobody was allowed to look. A fire brigade vehicle sanitised the houses from the outside. Police patrolling in the area has been intensified.

This is where the problems for the locals start, he said.

“We have been given a number for any help such as groceries but the number stays engaged. There should have been facilities, such as a mobile van, that could have helped us with daily-use purchases,” he added.

Here's a list of dos and don'ts in COVID-19 sealed hotspot areas:

Dos

> Authorities to undertake door-to-door monitoring and sanitisation efforts.

Don'ts

> All entry and exits to the areas will be closed.

(With inputs from PTI)