Coronavirus: Delhi govt plans buffer zones around containment areas

The Delhi government is planning to create buffer zones in the national capital around areas with a cluster of coronavirus cases. The government has also started house to house screening in all the hotspot areas which were sealed on Wednesday.

An officer in the South Delhi Municipal corporation told the Times of India that the government will soon begin random screenings in Delhi and would also monitor any coronavirus symptoms in the general public.  

"The revised COVID-19 containment plan sent by the ministry of health and family welfare clearly states that the area under the geographical quarantine will be defined into the containment zone surrounded by a buffer zone. While there will be no movement inside the containment zone, the minimal movement in the buffer zone around it will be carefully monitored," said the public health official to the daily.

Another municipal offer said that according to the containment plan a buffer zone of five kilometres radius needs to be created by the local administration. The administration will chalk out the buffer zone based on road access, movement of people and the possibility of physical contact between containment zone inhabitants and the buffer area.

The buffer area will be "passively monitored" according to municipal officials. "Dedicated surveillance teams will be formed for each zone which will remain in touch with community leaders, RWA heads and local politicians to get reports on any house or flat that may have people showing symptoms. Such people will be then tested," the public official told the daily.

The officials through passive surveillance will also monitor people with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection and they would also be tested for the coronavirus.

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