Kolkata: Covid cases yet to fall in Beliaghata containment zones

KOLKATA: At least three containment zones in the Beliaghata-Phoolbagan area continue to bother the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Kolkata Police.
While the focus on micro-containment still firmly remains in pockets of south Kolkata covering Karaya, Ballygunge, New Alipore and Netaji Nagar, the pockets in the eastern suburbs of the city, lying in wards 31 and 33, have stubbornly remained in the city’s micro-containment zone for the longest time.One address here, a complex, has been in the list since the beginning from early January.
“The three areas - Canal Circular Road, Beliaghata Main Road and Suren Sarkar Road - had seen various blocks entering the containment zones even in the past two waves. The difference this time is that fresh cases are continuing to be reported from all these zones. The micro-containment list was last updated on Thursday evening. Fresh cases had been reported even on December 15 and 16 from these areas. However, on the positive side, fresh cases are declining and it may not be long before these addresses manage to walk out of the containment zone list,” said a KMC health department officer.
Anindya Routh, borough III chairman, on Sunday conceded that the high-rises and the housing complexes were still a worrying factor for the Covid-combat team. “Some high-rises are still recording fresh cases, making the state health department act tough so that the infection doesn’t spread,” Routh said. However, the KMC borough chairman expressed hope that the containment tag from these areas would be removed soon.
According to a KMC health department official assigned to look after the Beliaghata-Kankurgachhi belt, the infection rate has remained stable in several high-rises or housing complexes due to an apathy towards testing among a section of residents. “If we can bring residents of high-rises with even mild symptoms under a voluntary testing scheme, the infection rate will go down,” the civic official said.
While KMC health officials have pointed to its proximity to Salt Lake as a reason behind the proliferation of cases, the fact remains that this area, a mix of slums and flats, has multiple access points. The residents from different strata of society have often refused to abide by the containment rules, the police said
“Despite signs being put up, this being a well-connected area, witnessed a lot of movement, even that of outsiders,” said an officer from eastern suburban division. He cited the example of Suren Sarkar Road which has as many as 16 addresses under containment. “While houses under containment are changing, the huge influx of people in this large area is preventing the area from leaving the micro-containment list,” he added.
Police say they were not looking at “one pill solution” to the rising Covid cases. “Now that Covid has reached the apartments, we are choosing the highest affected zones by rotation one by one instead of shutting down the entire area and concentrating on controlling the disease,” said an officer at Lalbazar.