SHILLONG: As the state marches ahead with the micro-containment strategy to tackle COVID-19, the government, on Tuesday, rolled out the standard operating procedure (SOP) in order to give the new system a push.
The government, in an order, has shed light into the dynamics of a micro-containment zone, if and when declared.
It states that an area will be given the micro-containment zone tag when there is — more than one case emerging from an urban locality/village, no travel or contact reasons attributable to the cases, a medical opinion on the need for declaring the area as containment zone.
The order states that only the district magistrates have the power to declare an area as a micro-containment zone.
“There is no fixed metric distance in notifying a containment zone and the geographical boundaries are decided by how far the severity of the movement of those affected has been in gauging the levels of spread”, the order stated.
Perimeter control
According to the SOP, the authorities will also keep perimeter control in a micro-containment area wherein a strict system to check the movement of people will be put in place.
All vehicular movement of public transport persons will be restricted except for medical emergencies and maintaining supply of essential goods and services, the order said.
Immediate steps
Once declared a micro-containment zone, the index case will be identified in the area based on possible origin of infection within 12 hours of the test report.
Also, within 12 hours of the index patient’s test report, all high-risk and low-risk contacts of the case(s) have to be listed and tested for RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen Test as per the state protocol.
Health workers will then undertake a door-to-door survey and record any symptoms related to fever and cough. Following this, those with symptoms will also be tested for COVID-19. This process will have to be taken up within 48 hours of the report of the index case, as per the SOP.
“All SARI/ILI cases reported in the last 14 days by the IDSP in the containment zone will be tracked and reviewed. Any other SARI cases reported in the nearby medical facilities will also be reviewed”, the order added.
Duration
According to the SOP, first review of the de-notification of a containment zone has to be done within 72 hours of the notification declaring the area as a containment zone.
The DC in consultation with the DM&HO will lift the containment order when all the high-risk contacts have been tested and there is satisfaction that no further testing is required to assess the spread; no new cases have emerged for at least five days from the cluster; and behavioural change management training has been imparted to the residents.
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