Covid-19: 22 hotspots in Gautam Budh Nagar, 13 in Ghaziabad sealed

NOIDA/GHAZIABAD: The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday decided to completely seal hotspots in 15 districts, including Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad in NCR, where any Covid-19 positive cases have been found. The sealing will be in place from midnight of April 8 till the end of lockdown on April 14 and in case the lockdown continues, further decision will be taken accordingly.
Gautam Budh Nagar has 22 hotspots, while Ghaziabad has 13.
Officials said that while the lockdown will be imposed strictly in the rest of the area, the hotspots in these districts will be completely shut including stores for groceries, medicines and milk. The sealing also means that no banks, ATMs or post offices will be open either and o media persons will be allowed inside these areas. People will not be allowed to venture out of their homes at any time with higher police presence and constant monitoring.
“Only home delivery of essential services will only be allowed in these areas by authorised delivery persons and ambulances or medical emergencies will be allowed. In case of any other extreme emergency situation, our officials on the ground will assess the situation and take a call,” said Narendra Bhooshan, nodal officer for handling the Coronavirus situation in Gautam Budh Nagar.
The relief, however, is that most of the hotspots in both NCR cities are within group housing societies and high rise apartments where banks and ATMs are already not located within the society. This would also mean that travel within the city as well as intercity between Noida, Ghaziabad and Delhi will remain as it has been under the lockdown so far. However, valid government passes will be required for delivery of essentials within the hotspots.
In Gautam Budh Nagar, there are 22 hotspots that include 12 clusters, 10 epicentres and 34 localities. Officials explained every area that has a single case is an epicentre. If there is any more case reported from the same area, the epicentre becomes a cluster. In GB Nagar, the 10 epicentres and 12 clusters are spread across 34 localities that have been grouped to form 22 hotspots.
“For Example, Nirala Greenshire society and Patwari village in Greater Noida are next to each other and are one hotspot. Similarly Palm Olympia is a hotspot and the entire society will be sealed. However, it is located within the Gaur City Township, but the entire township will not be sealed,” added Bhooshan.
“For the ease of people, we will be sealing entire society, village or sector that is part of the 22 hotspots. In case of any confusion as more cases come, the local police will take a call on expanding or reducing the area,” added Bhooshan.
The only difference between Noida and Ghaziabad is the definition of hotspot for sectors with individual houses. Officials said the entire premises will be sealed in the case of high-rise apartments, but where positive patients lived in an individual house like in Vaishali Sector 6 or Shalimar Garden Extension 2, the entire area in the one kilometre radius will be sealed. However, in the case of Masuri from where several positive cases were reported, the entire locality will be sealed.
In Ghaziabad, as many as 13 hotspots are identified, including the Covid Hospital being run from Community Health Centre (CHC) in Muradnagar, and one high-rise apartment each in Mohan Nagar and Raj Nagar Extension where two positive cases were reported. At CHC Muradnagar, 20 positive Covid-19 patients are undergoing treatment at present.
Chief medical officer NK Gupta said, “We are not going to seal the entire sector in case of a positive case being found from one building in the locality. The area in one kilometre radius will only be sealed.”
Corroborating Gupta’s statement, SSP Kalanidhi Naithani of Ghaziabad said the 13 spots are spread over eight police stations of Ghaziabad. “Along with additional district magistrate, the SPs (city and rural) will monitor the situation there and ensure that all residents stay inside their homes,” the SSP said.
As false news about sealing of the entire city circulated, panic buying without social distancing was also seen across both cities that continued till late evening. Many areas reported grocery and milk stores going out of stock.
For essential service providers, such as firefighters, doctors, other medical staff, delivery staff and administration or health department officials living in the hotspots, movement will be allowed based on government issued passes only. Officials said that most of these groups already have a pass that will be valid through the sealing.