Meerut's vegetable market turns new corona hotspot with 25 fresh cases

Meerut CMO said that the entire district is being treated as a containment zone now as it was not possible to track the chain of the contacts of those who had tested positive.
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

LUCKNOW: A wholesale market has emerged as the new COVID-19 hotspot in Meerut where 25 people have tested positive for the virus since Monday. All the 25 are associated with Naveen Subzi Mandi - the wholesale market for fruits and vegetables.

Meanwhile, 15 more cases surfaced in the city on Tuesday. Keeping in view the spurt in cases, the Meerut district administration has decided not to allow any relaxation.

While 25 persons tested positive from Naveen Subzi Mandi on Monday, 15 more were added to the tally taking the district corona figures to 155 on Tuesday.

Even the casualty figure in the district, which already is in the red zone, went up to eight with a 25-year-old losing the battle to the virus on Tuesday.

According to Meerut CMO Dr Rajkumar, those associated with the vegetable market and their contacts could now be at risk. From Naveen Mandi, veggies are supplied throughout the district.

The sellers at the wholesale market who tested positive had come into contact with hundreds of customers last week, said the sources adding that the tracing of infection chain was a challenge for the authorities.

Among other new cases is a three-day-old child who got the infection from his mother who had tested positive along with her husband.

The CMO claimed that the entire district was being treated as a containment zone now as it was not possible for the administration to track the chain of the contacts of those who had tested positive.

“With the spurt in the number of cases in Meerut, we can’t allow relaxation in restrictions,” said Meerut DM Anil Dhingra confirming that the lockdown would be enforced in the district till May 17. However, with source of the immediate spurt in number of positive cases being a retail vegetable market, the threat
of community spread to loom large in the district.

 On the other, the DM has set up a committee under the state excise officer to make a decision if the liquor shops have to be opened or not in Meerut.

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