The number of containment zones in Bengaluru increased to 113 on Thursday, after the city saw more than 100 COVID-19 cases reported over the span of five days since June 7. The total number of cases in the city now stands at 581.
The number of cases in the city went from 475 on June 7 to 581 on Thursday evening. As many as 44 patients reported in this time had no contact or travel history and reported in hospitals with symptoms of Influenza-like illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI). On June 1, the city had only 36 containment zones. It is however to be noted that streets or even two or three shops are houses are marked as containment zones. Though most of the zones have just one COVID-19 case each, the areas or houses nearby are marked as containment zones.
Many residential areas like Yelahanka Town, Marathahalli, Domlur, Adugodi, Halasuru and HBR Layout have one case of COVID-19 each. Malleshwaram, which is also a containment zone has four cases of COVID-19 and Kadugodi has two cases.
"The cause of concern for the public is the increase in the cases this month following the relaxation of rules. Some cases are travellers, others are contacts of old cases but there are also cases indigenous to Bengaluru alone because of a surge in ILI and SARI patients testing positive", Dr Lokesh, Special Commissioner in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and in-charge of COVID-19 surveillance told TNM.
Bengaluru now has 113 containment zones, up from 36 on June 1. 106 COVID-19 cases reported in the past week (since Sunday) and over 40% of them are ILI and SARI patients with no contact, travel history.
— Prajwal (@prajwalmanipal) June 12, 2020
List of new containment zones pic.twitter.com/OhraY5vL2W
Dr Lokesh said that the containment zones are restricted to the patient's house or the entire street of the patient's house depending on the geographical location. The size of a containment zone was reduced in May as per lockdown 4.0 norms. On June 4, a discussion was held to reduce it further in certain cases and only restrict it to the home of a patient.
He further added that the health department officials are yet to observe a cluster of cases in Bengaluru after the outbreak in a slum in DJ Halli in the city. On May 25, a 38-year-old woman diagnosed with SARI tested positive for the virus. Areas around her home in DJ Halli were demarcated as a containment zone however, as many as 15 COVID-19 cases have emerged in the area since then.
As many as four containment zones are located in a slum in SK Garden, close to DG Halli. 13% of the active cases in the city are also from this area, a congested settlement near Benson Town in the city.
On Wednesday, Bengaluru recorded its highest increase in COVID-19 cases in a single day with 42 new patients. A majority of the patients reported in hospitals with ILI symptoms. Of the 23 deaths reported among COVID-19 patients in Bengaluru, 13 were reported in June.