Stricter Lockdown From Today In Expanded Containment Zones In Bengal
Holding an extreme view and carting the ball out of the park is what interests him most. He is a hard hitter at all times. Fasten your seatbelts and read.
View all posts by this Author
By Slogger
First publised on 2020-07-09 09:18:03
About the Author
Holding an extreme view and carting the ball out of the park is what interests him most. He is a hard hitter at all times. Fasten your seatbelts and read.
View all posts by this Author
The West Bengal government has taken several important decisions to arrest the spread of coronavirus in the state. The definition of containment zone has been broadened to include what was until now called the buffer zone and entire areas recognized as such have been placed under a stricter lockdown from Thursday, July 9, 2020 evening. The lockdown is for 7 days initially and the situation will be reviewed again later in the week. Kolkata and its vicinity have 48 such areas.
The administration had earlier taken the decision to localize containment zones to just the building where the infection was found. But that strategy failed as the infection started spreading. In the last week, as cases started multiplying in posh residential areas such as Alipore and New Alipore as also the middle-class localities of Bhowanipore and Ultadanga, alarm bells started ringing in the state administration. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has been keeping a strict watch over the situation and she took immediate steps to enforce the lockdown.
Some panic buying was reported from markets across Kolkata as people were concerned that the lockdown might be extended. Banerjee assured them that their needs will be attended to even if the administration was forced to do so. Although Kolkata has fared much better than the other metros in controlling the spread since it is densely populated and since trucks are arriving from other states at wholesale hubs, the administration is not taking any chances. The present lockdown measures are strictly local in nature and are meant to prevent infected persons or their contacts from moving about and spreading the virus.
The success of these measures will largely depend on the strictness in enforcement. Earlier it was seen that people could come out of containment zones by climbing over the barricades. Overcrowded buses have also been spotted during office time in the city. Hence, the police will have to ensure that the lockdown in expanded containment zones is strictly enforced to achieve the desired results.
