Several thousands of city residents across various localities will have to live an isolated existence for an indefinite period inside the containment zones demarcated for localisation and subduing of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As per the operational guidelines issued by the government, residents of the zones will have to confine themselves to their homes. Movement of persons within the zone too is not allowed.
Perimeter of the zone will be cordoned off with eight-foot barricades and access to all roads and thoroughfares will be closed barring one common entry and exit point. Every entry and exit will be recorded and monitored.
Size of each zone will depend on the incidence of the positive cases, with an approximate radius of 100 to 500 metres. For each positive case, 100 households will be counted in for containment, and as such, a single apartment or gated community too could be announced as containment zone.
Three levels of nodal surveillance teams will monitor the zones, respectively at the site, at the circle and at zonal level of GHMC, with staff and officials from GHMC, Medical & Health, Police, HMWS&SB, TSSPDCL and others as members.
Zonal commissioner himself or herself shall be in-charge of the containment zones where the incidence is above average or abnormally high. Otherwise, deputy commissioners are responsible for three or four containment zones each. Nodal officers must visit the zones twice a day for proper monitoring.
Homeless and destitute persons should be identified within the zone, and shifted to shelter homes. Migrant labourers, if any, should be provided food supplies and other essentials. Vulnerable households with senior citizens should be supplied with food through Annapurna scheme.
One dedicated vehicle will be allotted for each zone, for supply of provisions. Vegetable vendors, milk vendors, and four or five grocery shops will be tied up for delivery.
Pamphlets will be distributed with phone numbers of nodal officers and the contact persons for supplies. Distribution of safety masks will be taken up with regular intervals. Public announcements will be made from an auto.
Fever surveys will be conducted every day, and symptomatic persons will be shifted to designated hospitals. Daily sanitation will be done and garbage collected from the zones and identified hospitals will be sent directly for incineration. Disinfectant spraying will be done twice daily covering the entire area.
The guidelines, besides spelling out responsibilities of each official, specified the standard operating procedure whenever a new positive is found.
Each new positive case will be followed up by the protocol of tracing and quarantining family and primary contacts.
Nizamia General Hospital, Charminar, Nature Cure Hospital, Begumpet, Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, Mehdipatnam, Ayurveda Medical College, Ameerpet, and Government Homeopathy College, Ramanthapur, are the designated quarantine facilities. The King Koti Hospital has been earmarked for walk-in cases.
In case of positives or suspects in Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) area, the CEO is to be apprised of the same and asked to follow similar protocol. In the event of failure on their part, GHMC should follow up the same.