‘Emphasis on controlling virus ‘explosion’ in Chandigarh locality’

<br>”Our focus is on intensive testing in the city and Bapu Dham colony, which largely comprising economically weaker section dwellers, is a major concern for us as in small dwelling units there are 10 to 15 people are living together,” Chandigarh Administrator V.P. Singh Badnore told media at a virtual interaction.

He said the full concentration is to prevent the community spread in Bapu Dham in Sector 26, which houses nearly 60,000 people, largely economically weaker sections and slum dwellers.

“Bapu Dham is a challenge with large vulnerable sections.”

Fearing an outbreak, authorities have decided to quickly set up a quarantine facility in neighbouring two schools where the senior citizens and families of the positive cases would be kept for preventing the virus spread.

Protective gear has been given to doctors and nurses deployed there, Badnore said. The administration on Thursday extended the holidays indefinitely in all schools in the city.

On April 25, Chandigarh Police had registered a case against a 30-year-old COVID-19 patient, the first case reported from Bapu Dham, who was employed with Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Sector 32.

He had hosted a party at his house on April 17 flouting social distancing norms. The party was attended by 123 people, said the police.

It was found that many of the people who had attended the party had turned out to be either positive or virus carriers.

For nearly a month, Bapu Dham colony has been declared as a containment zone, with restricted entry and exit and heavy deployment of police.

Only essential service providers wearing protective gear are allowed, officials said.

On declaring the city as vehicle-free day once in a week amid the pandemic by encouraging people to cycle to keep pollution levels low, Badnore told IANS, “This is a good suggestion. We can look into it and try to evolve a model for others to follow. We can also have more cycling days (with passage of time).”

The Administrator said Chandigarh was the first city to make it mandatory to wear face masks.

“Chandigarh is not a standalone city. Its adjoining towns of Panchkula and Mohali make Chandigarh a mega city. Chandigarh has a population of 12 lakh and the neighbouring towns make up a total population of about 22 lakh,” he said.

“Coordination in the tri-city is very challenging. The Cabinets (of Punjab and Haryana) are based here. We evolved an effective mechanism through mutual cooperation by neighbouring states in combating the virus. Panchkula (in Haryana) facilitated us by allowing our doctors to travel there,” Badnore added.

It was a development of hope and positivity as six more persons undergoing treatment for the virus at PGIMER’s COVID Hospital here were discharged after being declared cured on Thursday, doctors said.

<br>These were the highest number of recoveries in a single day till date and with their discharge the total number of people successfully recovered and discharged from Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) rose to 37.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

–IANS<br>vg/kr