SHILLONG: Commercially bustling Keating Road area here, which has reported ten positive cases in the last few days — the highest in city — has been causing some concern among both the residents and the government but a plea to declare the area as a containment zone has remained unheard.
Owing to the area’s thick population and proximity to a private residential complex and a stone’s throw from several government establishments, the area assumes added importance.
Not surprisingly, as a confidence building measure, a team of health officials led by Health Minister AL Hek visited the containment area of Keating Road locality and interacted with the Headman and the COVID-19 community management team.
On Monday, four more high risk contacts of the positive persons were taken for testing by the health authorities for testing as part of contact tracing even as the shops in the complex and one adjacent building where the family was staying have been immediately shut down and no thoroughfare is allowed.
Director of Health Services, Dr Aman War said that the health authorities were tracking the contacts of the positive person and as a precaution, they will be relocated in quarantine centres, where after testing, those who are found to be positive will be isolated in the corona care centre.
Talking about Keating Road in particular, he said an old man of 90 years lives in the building and those who have tested negative will come and take care of the person. President of the Keating Road Welfare Organisation, JL Das pleaded with the health authorities to declare the area as containment zone for enabling arrest of further spread of the virus since a large number of people from other areas visit the locality everyday for trade and commerce.
“I have approached the district administration for the declaration of containment zone, but the government has not responded”, Das said.
Health Minister, the DHS and other health officials also undertook similar visits to different localities of the city where positive cases had been detected. The idea is to take stock of the grassroots arrangements which have been entrusted to the Dorbars and Welfare Associations.
During the day, health workers were seen fanning out to different areas, entering houses in search of senior citizens, especially those with co-morbidities. They handed over “self-help diary” to each senior citizen for noting down their state of health for the next one month.
