Dip in number of micro-containment zones in city but vigil continues in south Kolkata belt

KOLKATA: The city reported a further dip in micro-containment zones on Friday with the number dipping to 18.
The biggest relief came from Borough 10 where the total number of containment zones dropped to five from 12. Most importantly, there were no fresh additions to the list from these belts. New Alipore, Jadavpur and Netaji Nagar, though, continue to remain on the list from the borough.
However, the addition of some new south Kolkata addresses — Southern Avenue and Ballygunge and Karaya — will keep both KMC officials and cops a bit worried. Micro-containment zones have come up at Ballygunge Circular Road, Gurusaday Road and Ballygunge Park Road — the areas that had regularly reported many Covid cases during the first two waves. A containment zone was found in front of a high-rise on Friday. The residents of the high-rise have been asked to keep a close vigil on those who have tested positive.
Meanwhile, in a bid to prevent under-reporting of Covid cases and undermining the infection rate among a section of the citizens, a joint team of health officials from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and cops from the south division on Friday launched a special drive in various areas such as New Alipore, Netaji Nagar, Jodhpur Park-Lake Gardens and Golf Green-Jadavpur belts. While the KMC and police both have been on a drive in these belts that had recently reported several fresh cases, the new list of micro-containment zones will come as a relief for them.
A posh condo off EM Bypass in the Tangra area has also made its way to the main list. There was good news from the Behala-Joka zone and the Port areas, from where all containment zones were finally withdrawn. Several pockets of Beliaghata and Phoolbagan continue to be in the micro-containment list even after the passage of three weeks.
In the meantime, a joint drive by KMC and cops in south Kolkata was conducted to ensure that basic Covid protocols are strictly maintained by the infected people for the safety of their neighbours in the micro-containment zones. It has been decided that cops will depute men to ensure that barricades — which indicate a containment zone — are not removed by the residents, especially in the New Alipore area. KMC has also sought help from cops to hold meetings with RWAs, asking them to encourage testing at KMC centres or private labs. “We need authentic reports so that our tele-callers are able to do contract tracing and at the same time advise the Covid positive patients what to do during the week-long isolation period,” said a KMC health department official.