Why Are People and Vehicles Moving In This Containment Zone at Bikkarnakatta in City
Mangaluru: Looking at the banner hung near this CONTAINMENT ZONE, near Move & PIck Super Market, on Nanthur-Bikkarnakatta Road (NH 13)- Mangaluru , and this sign posted by Mangaluru City Police which reads “This area is marked as a Containment Zone, and people in this area are requested to stay inside the house, and no vehicles/traffic or pedestrians should move in this area”- but what we see is totally different. Vehicles and people are seen moving right in front of this Containment Zone. So, does it make any sense?
What is a containment zone? Areas that are notified by the authorities as high-risk zones, where the number of coronavirus cases is high, are called containment zones. The civic bodies decide which area qualifies to be listed as a containment zone. The basic idea behind such a demarcation is to limit the virus in an enclosed space to prevent its spread in other areas.
What activities are allowed in a containment zone? Only essential services like groceries, medical supply, water supply etc are allowed in containment zones. Authorities ban movement inside such areas; they also block entry and exit points so that infected people can’t spread the virus. Movement in containment zones will be monitored to ensure that nobody leaves or visits, except for medical emergencies and the supply of essential goods and services, and adding containment zones will also see intensive contact tracing, house-to-house surveillance and other clinical interventions, as required.
If that’s the description of a Containment Zone, how come the District Administration Officials and the Police department didn’t follow the guidelines, while marking this containment zone at Bikkarnakatta, in City. If it is really a Containment Zone, the concerned officials should take quick action and ban the movement of people and motorists in this area. When the area near First Neuro hospital in Adyar/Padil was marked as Containment Zone, the police had blocked the National Highway road in front of the hospital, and allowed traffic on the other side, making it a one-way road. So, why not close the road in front of this Bikkarnakatta Containment Zone, and make one-way road on the opposite side, in prevention of spread of Virus, since the number of deaths and positive Covid-19 cases are increasing in Mangaluru.
What more can you expect from a city that has invited covid to be home delivered from Dubai and other places? Such stunts are the reason for spike in cases here post the lockdown.