The Delhi government created 376 COVID-19 containment zones between November 13 (Deepavali eve) and November 20, according to Revenue Department records. There are now a total of 4,560 containment zones in the city. As cases surged during the week, the maximum single-day increase in such zones (104) was recorded on Deepavali day.
As per government records, there were 4,184 zones on November 13, which increased to 4,288 on November 14.
Such zones were delineated at a daily rate of around 47 during the week as the city struggled with what the government has acknowledged as the “third wave of the coronavirus”.
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Government records state that till November 20, 9,875 containment zones have been created in the city since the pandemic struck earlier this year, out of which 9,541 were delineated after June 21. Records posit that the South-West district has the most containment zones at 1,563 followed by 1,507 in the West district and 9,69 in the North-West district.
The North-East district has the least number of containment zones at 401, followed by 514 and 620 in the East and New Delhi districts.
On Saturday, officials said that over 400 ICU beds have been added in hospitals run by the Centre and the Delhi government over the last five days amid a surge in cases. “As many as 411 ICU beds have been added,” an official said, adding: “Several private hospitals have also added more ICU beds after they were told to reserve 80% of them for COVID-19 patients.”
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Home isolation
The Delhi government has also directed district officials to visit COVID-19 patients under home isolation and ensure that they follow isolation rules, a move that comes amid instances of such people flouting norms in the national capital.
In an order, the health department said contact tracing should be paid proper attention and it should be ensured that the contacts traced be subjected to immediate testing and be kept under effective isolation until test results come.
Meanwhile, Nigambodh Ghat, the biggest cremation facility in Delhi, is likely to get three more CNG-based furnaces from next week, officials said on Saturday.
In the last ten days, there were instances when the maximum daily cremation count of COVID-19 victims reached 22, they added.
A total of 210 COVID-19 victims were cremated at the ghat from November 10 to November 21, said officials of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.
Twenty COVID-19 victims were cremated till 5.30 p.m. on Saturday.