Delhi: Test all inside containment zones within 5 days, district officials told

NEW DELHI: To contain the second wave of the novel coronavirus infection in the capital, Delhi government has asked all district administrations to test everyone living in the Covid-19 containment zones in five days, and prioritise isolation and treatment in these areas. Accordingly, the districts have started testing everyone without waiting for any Covid-like symptom.

The number of containment zones, currently standing at 1,560, has been rapidly increasing, with addition of 611 pockets in just 11 days — between September 3 and 14. In the wake of the highest jump in the red zone count in over 10 days, the government has planned strict surveillance, perimeter control and testing in these areas.
Until now, the authorities used to screen all individuals living in a containment zone and mark those with Covid or Covid-like symptoms. Only those with symptoms were eventually tested. Some districts had even restricted screening to the contacts of the Covid-positive people. “All individuals living in containment zones were barred from socialising,” said an official.
For the past several days, Delhi has reported over 4,000 new cases every day, prompting chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and health minister Satyendar Jain to hold back-to-back meetings with health officials to ensure that the focus stays on testing, tracing and treatment. However, the positivity rate in Delhi is still lower than the same during the first wave.
Now the government has asked for “testing of all individuals in the containment zones. Due to the size of containment zones and the daily rise in the count, it is turning out to be a tough task, but the frontline health workers are managing to do it”, said an official.
Initially everyone is tested through rapid antigen tests, following which individuals who are testing negative despite having Covid-19-like symptoms are undergoing RT-PCR tests, considered more accurate.
Among the 1,560 containment zones, South West district has 282 such pockets followed by 203 in West, 187 in North, 159 in South, 126 in North West and 125 in East. North East district has the lowest count at 42.
A spot that reports three to five Covid cases in closely located houses or in one tower in an apartment building is converted into a containment zone. Several other factors, mainly chances of infection spread, are also taken into account and the local authority is using its discretion and experience to decide the matter.