As the nationwide lockdown entered its third week, a spike in the number of COVID-19 positive cases forced the Guntur district administration to declare the entire city a red zone area.
Eight more persons tested positive on Tuesday taking the total number of positive cases to 41.
District Collector I. Samuel Ananda Kumar told reporters that a complete lockdown would be implemented in the city and the relaxation of lockdown period was further reduced to three hours (6 a.m. to 9 a.m.)
Apart from spike in the number of positive cases in the district, the major factor that forced the district administration to sound high alert is that 30 out of 41 cases are from Guntur and most of the persons tested did not show any symptoms like fever, running nose or dry cough.
Stringent restrictions on movement of people in residential areas have been imposed and municipal and police personnel put up permanent barricades. The Collector, along with DIG of Police (Guntur Urban Police District) P.H.D. Ramakrishna and Municipal Commissioner C. Anuradha visited areas in Old Guntur on Tuesday.
Appeal to residents
``We appeal to all residents in Guntur to stay at homes as the entire city is now under a complete lockdown. We have also reduced the relaxation period. There will be three entry/exit points into the city, Perecharla Road, Amaravathi Road and Pedakakani Road. Any violations of the lockdown will be dealt with sternly and cases will be booked under Disaster Management Act,’’ said the Collector.
Mr. Ramakrishna said that police would tighten vigil and enforce lockdown strictly from Wednesday. The police seized 2,100 vehicles so far.
The spread of coronavirus, beginning with a 52-year-old man testing positive after returning from Tablighi Jamaat gathering in Delhi, continues. The man now in treatment at Covid Hospital in Vijayawada is a resident of Mangaldas Nagar, but the contacts of other Delhi returnees spread across Old Guntur. As many as 30 cases are reported from areas under Old Guntur and Lalapet police station limits.
Situation reviewed
The Collector, after reviewing the situation, declared that areas in Lalapet police station limits, on Ponnur Road beginning with Lanchester Road, Dargah Manyam (road leading from Kanyaka Parameswari Temple to Nallacheruvu), and under Old Guntur police station limits including Mangaldas Nagar, Kummari Bazaar, LB Nagar, Anandapet, as the cluster containment zone.
In Guntur West, areas in Srinivasa Rao Peta, Nallacheruvu, Koretipadu have been declared as cluster containment zones. The entry points at Kankaragunta Road-under-Bridge have been blocked and access to railway level-crossing at Syamala Nagar has also been blocked.
These areas have been permanently barricaded and access to residents was completely denied. There would be only entry/exit points which would be used by revenue, police and municipal staff. All essential commodities would be supplied to these areas in trucks, the Collector said.
