GUWAHATI, May 5: The Kamrup Metropolitan district administration has, in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases particularly in the past one week, declared three municipal wards in Guwahati as containment zones.
Announcing this before reporters here on Wednesday evening, Kamrup Metropolitan deputy commissioner Biswajit Pegu said ward numbers 28, 16 and eight have been declared as containment zones with effect from 2pm of May 6, 2021 until further orders.
Pegu said that any ward reporting more than 400 COVID positive cases would be declared a containment zone, with entry or exit of people prohibited in the area.
Guwahati has 31 municipal wards under six zones.
However, from April 28 to May 4, 2021, the surge (more than 400 cases) in COVID cases has been reported from zone five (2190 cases in last one week), zone one (1250 cases) and zone 6 (1005 cases)
Ward number 28 (under zone five) include Beltola, Basistha, Maidam, Barmotoria and parts of Hatigaon.
Ward number 16 (under zone 6) includes Fatasil, Bhaskarnagar, Dhirenpara and Barsapara areas while ward number 8 (under zone 1) includes Bhutnath, Kumarpara, AT Road, Machkhowa and Athgaon.
“While normally the period of a containment zone is for 14 days, we have mentioned that the order will remain in effect until further orders, as the period of containment will depend on the situation,” he said.
However, there will be no restrictions on movement of officials engaged in emergency and essential services within the containment zone area.
“But other government and private offices, educational institutions and business establishments will remain closed in the containment zones. Bank, insurance offices and ATMs will function normally under COVID protocols,” the DC said.
Grocery, milk and fruit shops will be open from 8am to 12 noon in the containment zones but shopkeepers/customers have to maintain strict COVID protocols with not more than five persons at a time inside the shop.
Mobile vans selling hygienic fish and meat will also be allowed within the period.
Home delivery of essential commodities will be allowed up to 6pm.
“Pharmacy, veterinary clinics, shops selling animal feed can operate normally. There will be no restrictions in functioning of petrol pumps, LPG dealerships, manufacturing of essential goods, telecommunications, Internet services, broadcasting and cable services, IT and IT-enabled services, warehouses, cold storages, etc,” he said.
The deputy commissioner said any violation of the containment zone order will attract punishment under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
Earlier in the day, state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the state government was looking at declaring mini and micro containment zones rather than imposing restrictions in a larger area.
Sarma further informed that the measures were being explored with an aim to avoid a lockdown, even as he said that if the situation deteriorates despite the measures, then lockdown could be the last resort to break the COVID transmission chain.
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