If one person tests positive for COVID-19 in a particular area of a neighbourhood, the entire neighborhood should not be sealed for 28 days, Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy said on Sunday.

His comments come just a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet Chief Ministers for a review of the ongoing lockdown.

“For one person who has been affected by the disease, is it fair to turn the entire neighbourhood into a containment zone?” Mr. Narayanasamy asked, speaking to The Hindu over phone.

“In Sundar Nagar of Ariyankuppam, there was one COVID[-19] positive case who recovered after being hospitalised. But for 28 days, nearly 5,000 families were locked up. How will they earn their livelihood?” he asked.

On May 7, the Puducherry Chief Minister wrote to Mr. Modi and asked the Centre to leave it to the States to designate Red, Orange and Green zones.

‘A small State’

In his letter to the Prime Minister, he argued that for a small State like Puducherry, “it is impossible to create more containment zones and paralyse the economy”.

“In the name of COVID-19 and lockdown, the State machinery should not be brought to a grinding halt, including the closure of industries and businesses that are a source of employment and revenue for the States. Therefore, the Government of India may spell out an exit policy so that the States can prepare themselves,” he said in his letter to the Prime Minister.

Other CMs of Congress-ruled States, like Bhupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh, in a written communication with the Prime Minister, made a similar point about letting the State governments decide on opening up specific areas for economic activity.

Stringent norms

The current norms for the marking of the zones are quite stringent. While falling under a Red zone effectively means 100% lockdown with only essential services allowed, in Orange zones, some very limited activities are allowed. Green zones are the zones where most of the recent relaxations with regard to economic activities are allowed.

But the moment a COVID-19 positive case is found in an area, it becomes a Red zone. It turns Orange if no fresh case is reported for 14 days — the incubation cycle of the virus — in a particular area. The zone becomes Green only after no fresh cases is reported for 28 days.

“Our administration is doing aggressive screening, where a team of doctors and nurses look for symptoms of COVID-19. Those who show even mild symptoms are further tested. In this way, we can manage the disease,” Mr. Narayanasamy said, when he was asked about the risk of the virus spreading if affected areas were not strictly contained.