Covid clusters: Lockdown likely in select Rajasthan areas

JAIPUR: Following a surge in active Covid-19 cases, which zoomed past the 10,000 mark in the state on Monday, the state government might take the tough decision to impose a lockdown in certain areas that are currently witnessing a spike.
In areas where the pandemic threatens to spiral out of control, district collectors have been authorised to take the decision to impose the lockdown based on the situation
Currently, the state government is creating micro containment zones covering three-four houses in a neighborhood where one or more persons test positive. Initially, the containment zones were bigger in size covering more than 1km area around the affected place. However, to boost economic activities, the state government is now allowing micro containment zones. But in certain areas, where cases are being reported in clusters, the state government may impose lockdown.
The health department has analysed the situation in the entire state to find out districts which are currently the worst-hit due to Covid.
They are being identified based on the number of active cases. The more the number of such cases in an area, the more the chances of the spread of the virus. In the current situation, the state government is focused more on containing the spread of the virus in such areas. “Lockdown may be imposed in areas in certain areas where the cases have been increasing. Necessary directions have been issued to district collectors on it,” said health minister Raghu Sharma.
Apart from health department officials and doctors, district collectors too will play a key role in containing the virus. “If local circumstances, in terms of the pattern of the spread of infection, warrant a tough measure, the district administration has been authorised to take a call in this regard at the local level in consultation with concerned stakeholders,” said additional chief secretary (home) Rohit Kumar Singh.
The health department is also taking tough measures in Jodhpur and Alwar, which are the worst-affected districts in the state currently. Officials in the two districts have been directed to intensify contact tracing and random sampling. The capacity of testing has also been increased to 42,540 per day. So far, more than 14 lakh samples have been tested in the state.