About seven colonies in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur town have been declared 'red zone' after a case of COVID-19 was reported from the area. The colonies include Mangaldas Nagar, Arundathi Nagar, RTC Colony, Ambedkar Nagar, Seethanagar, Nehru Nagar and Vasavi Nagar.
Sanitisation work has already started in these areas and people have been asked not to get out on to the streets unless it is absolutely necessary. All the roads and the entire locality were sprayed with disinfectants. The patient who tested positive in Guntur belongs to Mangaldas Nagar.
"There are about 33,000 people in those colonies and the officials of the municipality are going door to door and collecting information regarding their health status in each household," an official from the Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) said.
"We are inquiring whether they are having fever or cold and how many people stay in the household, among other details," the official added.
However, the people are allowed to step out to buy groceries and other necessities between 6 am and 1 pm like the rest of the city. As of now, the Corporation is not planning to home deliver groceries.
The 52-year-old patient who tested positive has a travel history to Dubai, New Delhi and Ajmer (Rajasthan). The patient before the onset of symptoms attended family gatherings and travelled to the nearby colonies of Guntur. About 35 people who came in contact with the patient have been identified and their samples were sent for testing.
The state has reported 12 positive cases of COVID-19 so far, out of which 11 are active. Around 28,000 foreign returnees are being tracked and are under quarantine.
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