Chawni Mohalla a containment zone, but who cares

Ludhiana: Not only residents of containment zone in Chawni Mohalla, but the cops deployed there also seem to be mocking at the administration. On Tuesday, along with residents, even some cops on duty in the area were captured without masks.
The Ludhiana district administration has declared Chawni Mohalla as a containment zone. The health department will now conduct random sample checking of symptomatic persons to avoid further spread.
On Tuesday, the TOI took a round of the area and found that besides shops of essential commodities, a photo studio was also open. Further, except for some residents, even some cops deployed on duty there were seen moving around without masks. The residents of Chawni Mohalla were also seen roaming around freely in the area.
Chief medical officer Dr Rajesh Bagga said, “As per the guidelines, the residents of containment zones cannot go outside the area, but they can move inside their area freely, however, with precautions. Further, shops of essential commodities can also open in containment zones. In Chawni Mohalla, we have three points for entry and exit of resident for essential and emergency services.”
“A team of health department, along with cops, have been deployed there to maintain a register of each person entering and making an exit from the area. The record of persons, the place and purpose of going out is being maintained by the workers of the health department. Infrared thermometer is also used to check fever of people coming and going out,” added CMO Bagga.
He further said though the guidelines allowed people to move within the area, they should be cautious to not get in touch with anyone. They should remain indoors and move out only when there was an urgency.
When Ludhiana police was contacted to know about the cops and residents without masks, a senior police official said, “We will implement the guidelines strictly.”
On June 5, Ludhiana district administration had declared Chawni Mohalla as a containment zone. In an official statement deputy commissioner Pradeep Agrawal had said ,“Because a total of 15 cases have come from Chawni Mohalla alone, the district administration and health department has declared it as a containment zone. Curfew like situation will be maintained in this area and no person will be allowed to leave or enter Chawni Mohalla.” He had added that this entire area had been sealed and only essential services would be allowed there.
The area, which witnesses its first case on May 29, saw a rapid rise in spread of Covid-19 and by the first week of June, it became a cluster of infection, forcing the authorities to declare it a containment zone.