Identify pockets of critical interventions for COVID-19 management: Centre to states
NATIONAL | MAY 01, 2020:
Centre has asked states to identify pockets of critical interventions for a focused management of COVID-19 at the field level.
In a letter to State Chief Secretaries, Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan said, earlier districts were designated as hotspots or red-zones, orange zones and green zones primarily based on the cumulative cases reported and the doubling rate.
Since recovery rates have gone up, the districts are now being designated across various zones duly broad-basing the criteria.
She said, a district will be considered under Green Zone, if there are no confirmed cases so far or there is no reported case since last 21 days in the area.
She highlighted that based on field feedback and additional analysis at state level, states may designate additional red or orange zones as appropriate.
However, they may not relax the zonal classification of districts classified as red or orange. She highlighted the necessary action in red and orange zones to break the chain of transmission of virus.
The containment zones in these districts have to be delineated based on mapping of cases and contacts, geographical dispersion of cases and contacts and area with well demarcated perimeter as well as enforceability.
The Health Secretary said, based on these factors the containment areas should be appropriately defined by the district administration and local urban body and a buffer zone around containment zone has to be demarcated.
The Secretary also asked states that necessary action should be initiated in these areas as part of the Containment Action Plans like establishing clear entry and exit points, no movement except for medical emergencies and essential goods and services, active search for cases through house to house surveillance, testing of all cases and contact tracing.
The Health Secretary also declared the list of districts identified as red, orange and green zones for the next week. Under it, 130 districts have been put in the red zone category, 284 in orange zone and 319 in green zone.
