102 hotspots in 15 UP districts sealed

| | Lucknow
  • 0

102 hotspots in 15 UP districts sealed

Thursday, 09 April 2020 | PNS | Lucknow



|
Taking a cue from Bhilwara (Rajasthan) administration’s fight against coronavirus, the Uttar Pradesh government decided to seal all 102 hotspots in 15 districts in which the number of COVID-19 positive cases are high and suspended all activities in these designated areas till April 15.
Bhilwara was the epicentre of coronavirus spread in Rajasthan in March. The local administration adopted aggressive containment procedures, limiting the virus spread in a short span of time. So much so that since March 30, only one coronavirus positive case has been reported in the district which earned the preventive steps initiated by it the name of ‘Bhilwara Model’.
Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said in Lucknow on Wednesday that hotspots of the districts which reported six or more novel coronavirus positive cases would be sealed and no one, including media persons, would be allowed there.
“All banks, ATMs and other establishments would be closed and local residents would be provided medicines, food grains, milk and vegetables at their doorsteps. Lockdown in other parts of the cities will be enforced as usual,” he said.
After television channels started airing the half-baked news of total sealing of districts on Wednesday afternoon, people rushed to nearby vegetable and grocery stores in local markets to purchase and hoard household edible articles, throwing caution of social distancing to the wind.
In several places, including Narhi area of Hazratganj in the state capital, police had to use force, close down shops and ask people to go back.
There are 102 hotspots in Uttar Pradesh with Agra having the maximum of 22 localities which will be sealed. This is followed by 13 in Ghaziabad, 12 each in Gautam Buddha Nagar and Lucknow, 10 in Kanpur, four in Varanasi, three in Shamli, seven in Meerut, three each in Bulandshahr, Basti and Firozabad, four each in Saharanpur and Maharajganj, and one each in Sitapur and Bareilly.
Meanwhile, DGP HC Awasthi said that a curfew-like situation will be clamped on these hotspot localities and no one would be allowed to come out of the house.
“This is being done to ensure that no infected person comes in contact with others and endangers them,” he said.
Chief Secretary RK Tiwari sent directives to all 15 districts on Wednesday to seal off the hotspot areas with full restrictions.
In his letter, the chief secretary said that all passes issued be reviewed while shops and mandis be closed.
“No person should be allowed to come out of the houses and essentials will be delivered in their houses by the government. Houses in hotspot areas be thoroughly checked and the entire area be sanitised in a big way. Workers engaged for distribution of essentials be transported by pooling vehicles to minimise use of private vehicles,” he said.

Sunday Edition

CAA PASSPORT TO FREEDOM

24 March 2024 | Kumar Chellappan | Agenda

CHENNAI EXPRESS IN GURUGRAM

24 March 2024 | Pawan Soni | Agenda

The Way of Bengal

24 March 2024 | Shobori Ganguli | Agenda

The Pizza Philosopher

24 March 2024 | Shobori Ganguli | Agenda

Astroturf | Lord Shiva calls for all-inclusiveness

24 March 2024 | Bharat Bhushan Padmadeo | Agenda

Interconnected narrative l Forest conservation l Agriculture l Food security

24 March 2024 | BKP Sinha/ Arvind K jha | Agenda