Najafgarh village turned into containment zone

The area around the Dindarpur village in the Najafgarh area here has been made a containment zone after three of a family tested positive for coronavirus, with one of them having travel history to the Nizamuddin Markaz.

According to the Delhi Health Department, close to 1,500 houses have been included in the containment zone and buffer zone.

"Three of a family tested positive in the village. It is a single cluster in a residential colony. So, the administrative boundary of the colony is to be made a containment zone and an additional one kilometre radius has been made a buffer zone," an official from the Health Department told IANS. Total 10 areas, including the Dindarpur, Dindarpur Extension, Shiv Puri Part-1 and Shayam Enclave, have been included in the containment and buffer zone.

"A population of about 8,000 will be screened by the Health Department," the official said.

The Health Department said a 43-year-old man, and two women -- one 40-year-old and one 19-year-old -- had tested positive. 24 contacts have been tested, of which nine were negative so far, while reports of the rest are awaited.

According to the Delhi Police, the man was under home quarantine at his residence in the village by the health authorities.

"During physical verification of home quarantined persons, he was not found present at his residence. On subsequent questioning, he hid facts about his past travel and movements. After analysing his call detail records and physical enquiry, it was found that he had been at the Jamaat at Nizamuddin," the police said.

The man, according to the police, during the repeated medical and police enquiry, "withheld" this fact.

"He has jeopardised the health of the local community and his family members. Two of his family members have been found positive. As a fallout, a containment zone has been declared in the village and legal action has been initiated against him," the police said.

The District Magistrate has declared the Dindarpur area as a containment zone in an order dated April 8.

While in a containment zone, no movement of the residents is allowed, the buffer zone around the containment zone can have carefully monitored minimal movement. Also, people from the two sections are not allowed to cross their boundary lines.

According to an official from the SDM office in Kapashera, all residents, employees, service providers of the Dindarpur area like plumbers, electricians, caretakers, security guards, grocery shop employees among others need to be quarantined and medically checked.

"This is a precautionary measure and samples must be taken immediately to ascertain the intensity of spreading of Covid-19 within the society. The Health Department and Delhi Police are the main departments for the task. The action plans of both the departments have been prepared in detail," the official told IANS.

The official said till April 8, 600 houses have been already checked. "While the contacts of the positive cases will be tested, all those in the containment zone having symptoms will also be tested.

"If anyone refuses to comply with the orders, they can be booked under the IPC, the official added.

An order, dated April 9, says no outside person be allowed to enter into the area.

"Violation by the public persons should be taken seriously and action against the violators must be initiated immediately," the order, a copy of which is with IANS, added.

The order said banners will be prepared to the effect that the area is a containment zone and no one is allowed to enter it.

"SDMC, Najafgarh Zone will ensure the proper sanitation and hygiene of the area," it says. It added that proper distribution of food has to be done by the Food and Supply Department.

"The Tehsildar (Kapashera) will be the overall nodal Officer for the entire process and will ensure the presence of all deployed staff on their assigned duty in the containment zone," the order added.

So far, close to 30 areas across the city have been made containment zones, with the government claiming it has made Dilshad Garden -- city's first containment zone -- coronavirus free. More than 700 coronavirus cases have been reported from Delhi since the outbreak of the infection. IANS