In the wake of Karimnagar town reporting its first COVID-19 positive case, the district administration, in association with the police, had declared some of the residential areas where the Indonesians had moved extensively and infected locals as ‘Red Zones’ and cordoned off the localities by deploying police forces.
Residents in the Red Zones were strictly instructed not to come out of their houses and would be arrested if they flouted orders. All the essential commodities such as milk, vegetables, fruits, rice, etc. would be sold at their localities only. They would be allowed to move out only during an emergency that too after prior permission from the police.
A densely populated area
The Mukarampura locality right from the main gate of the Collectorate, Ajmatheya Mosque area, Women’s College, Kashmirgadda, Saikrishna Theatre, area opposite Prathima Multiplex to the Mosque near Indira Chowk has been declared a ‘Red Zone’ and cordoned off with barricades on all sides and deployment of police forces.
Similarly, police were also identifying Kharkhanagadda, Khanpura, Rose Talkies road localities to be cordoned off and deployment of police to avoid movement of people infected by the virus in the town. Further, police are chalking out strategies to shift the identified suspects to quarantines in various private engineering colleges on the outskirts of the town.
Situation is alarming: Collector
In order to educate locals on the importance of self-isolation to check the spread of COVID-19 at Mukarampura locality, Collector K. Shashanka said the COVID-19 situation was alarming in Karimnagar town following the outbreak of virus among the people who moved very closely with the 10 Indonesians, who toured the town recently and tested positive. “Among them, one person tested positive and was shifted to Hyderabad’s Gandhi Hospital,” he said.
Stating that they would send medical teams for personal screening of all the residents in the ‘Red Zones’, he appealed to the residents to co-operate with the medical teams to check the spread of the virus. “We have already identified 80 suspects and shifted them to isolation wards in various hospitals in Karimnagar,” he said. Mr. Shashanka urged people to voluntarily approach a hospital for screening tests to check the spread of virus.
Section 144 in force
Commissioner of Police V.B. Kamalasan Reddy said they had invoked section 144 in the town and warned that they would chase people away if they assemble in groups. “We have banned plying of autorickshaws and other passenger vehicles. They would be seized if they are found moving with passengers,” he said. Municipal Commissioner Valluru Kranthi and others were also present.
