Tamil Nad

Puducherry to focus on containment strategy

A meeting chaired by Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy on Monday decided to enforce a strategy for COVID-19 containment zones as per the latest guideline issued by the Centre.

The meeting decided to drop the earlier plan to enforce lockdown in select areas with high concentration of COVID-19 positive cases and instead follow Centre’s guideline on containment zones. The district administration, based on feedback from the Health Department, would demarcate containment zones at the micro level and restrict the lockdown to containment zones. At present, there are around 72 containment zones, the official said.

Detailed survey was carried out in containment zones for effective surveillance to bring down spread of COVID-19 cases, he added.

Meanwhile, Collector T. Arun in an order said only essential activities would be allowed in containment zones. The lockdown would be restricted to containment zones. Movement of people would be restricted. There would be intensive contact tracing, house-to-house surveillance and clinical interventions in containment zones, the order said.

In areas outside containment zones, shops, business establishments and offices would function from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. only.

Beach Road would remain open from 5 a.m. to noon. Restrictions on the number of people allowed to participate in marriage and funeral would continue till September 20. Schools, colleges and coaching centres would remain shut till September 30, the order said.

Minister for Revenue M.O.H.F. Shahjahan, Chief Secretary Ashwani Kumar and Director-General of Police Balaji Srivastava were present.

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