Covid containment zones up from 14 to 182 in just seven days

Prayagraj: In the past seven days, from April 18 to April 24, the number of Covid containment zones in Sangam city has gone up from 14 to 182. The highest concentration of containment zones is in posh, urban and semi-urban pockets while rural areas in trans-Ganga and trans-Yamuna have comparatively fewer numbers, indicating that more cases are coming from the urban pockets during the current surge in Covid-19 cases in the district.
Inspector General of police, Prayagraj range, K P Singh told TOI on Sunday, “On April 18, there were 14 containment zones, but the number rose to 182 on April 24, showing the rate at which the infection is spreading.”
He further added, “On April 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23, as many as 51, 29, 25, 22, 20 and 21 new containment zones were added respectively in the list.” He also informed that a joint team of police, administration and health is focusing on creating containment zones across the district. This will not only help the authorities in conducting an effective surveillance and in health screening activity but also aid in restricting the movement of those people who are infected or are at a high risk of exposure.
On April 24, when the joint team of health, administration and police added 24 new containment zones to the list, 16 out of 21 containments zones were in city areas while the rest five in trans-Ganga and -Yamuna pockets.
Officials of the health department, meanwhile, pointed out that around 67 per cent of containment zones are in the city’s urban and semi-urban areas. All of these 182 areas (containment zones) have been sealed by the local administration.
Densely populated pockets like Dariyabad, Attarsuiya, Govindpur, Allahapur, Sohbatiyabagh, University area (Katra), Khuldabad, Himmatganj, Allenganj, BaiKa Bagh (Kydganj), GTB Nagar, Rajruppur, Preetam Nagar, Kalindipuram, Mundera, Jhalwa, Malviya Nagar, Mutthiganj, Maulvi Nagar, Teliyarganj, Shivkuti, Phaphamau and Naini have reported the maximum number of Covid cases.
A health department official reiterated that more Covid cases were coming from urban and semi-urban areas during the current wave. “It is difficult to pinpoint the reason behind it, but it is believed that the densely populated areas have more cases,” he said.
In the first two months of this year, the number of containment zones had come down as the authorities had freed up several containment zones. However, the number of cases started rising again as the authorities tried to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus infection by creating sealed zones in and around flats and buildings where Covid cases had been reported. A containment zone is unsealed 14 days after the last Covid positive case is detected there. Currently, Prayagraj district has more than 20,000 active cases.