Gurugram to be put under partial lockdown for two weeks
Some parts of Gurugram, Haryana, will be locked down for two weeks to tackle the surge in coronavirus cases, a report in The Times of India said on Friday. The curbs will only be put on densely populated areas or those having a high number of cases. The border with Delhi, which has become India's coronavirus capital, will remain open, the report added.
The number of confirmed cases in the city is 4,851 and 76 have died. As cases rise across the country, local administrations are taking steps to minimize the transmission. Citing sources, TOI said industries and people of the areas, to be locked down, will be given a three-day window for preparations. It was on March 25 that India was put under lockdown for the first time.
The areas that could possibly be locked down are — Dundahera, Nathupur, DLF Phase-3, South City-1, Sushant Lok, Silokhara, Sector 40, Sector 44, Jal Vihar, Sector 49, Sector 50, and Sector 10A. Areas like Shakti Park, Shivaji Park, Gandhi Nagar, Shiv Nagar, Heera Nagar, Anaj Mandi, Om Nagar, Shanti Nagar, Friends Colony, Sector 15, could also be placed under curbs.
To aid the process, all 35 wards of Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) have been divided into three categories — high, medium, and low — on the basis of population density. Wards 22, 16, 17, and 20 fall in the first category; wards 21, 18, 7, 4, 33, 23, and 14 in the medium category, whereas the rest have been labeled as low-density wards.
Notably, the idea to re-impose lockdown was floated by Gurugram MLA Sudhir Singla when CM Manohar Lal Khattar paid a visit. "Lockdown, even a partial one, will help contain the spread and implement the guidelines better," he had said. He called for a balance between restrictions and economic activities. Subsequently, on Thursday, senior officials, including the police commissioner, met to discuss the way forward.
"We will go ahead by containing the vulnerable areas, confining population, undertaking screening, and antigen testing. Those testing positive will be isolated. The district will follow micro-lockdown wherein clusters and containment zones will be locked down," a senior official told The Tribune.
On a related note, Assam declared a complete shutdown in some areas from June 28. "A complete lockdown will be observed across Guwahati for two weeks from Sunday midnight. For the first seven days, only pharmacy and hospitals will be open. Everything else will be shut," Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. Reportedly, Assam has 6,647 total cases and has witnessed a sudden surge.
