COVID-19: Nine-day lockdown begins in Chhattisgarh's Durg district

DURG: A nine-day strict lockdown began on Tuesday in Chhattisgarh's Durg district to curb an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases.

The city wore a deserted look as all shops and commercial establishments, except medicine stores and other essential services outlets, were shut and police teams patrolled important squares to check unnecessary movement of people.

The district administration had announced to impose a lockdown four days back so that people could buy essential items before the restrictions came into force.

"In view of a surge in infections in the district, it was necessary to impose a complete lockdown, a public relations department official here said.

The borders of the district have been sealed and only people with e-passes are being allowed to enter, he said.

Teams of police and municipal personnel are out on the streets to ensure lockdown regulations are not violated.

People are being allowed to step out of their homes for medical emergencies, COVID-19 testing and vaccination, he said.

Medicine stores, spectacles shops, petrol/diesel pumps and LPG cylinder outlets have been exempted from the lockdown purview.

Door-to-door delivery of milk has been allowed between 6 am to 7 am and 6 pm to 7 pm, while hawkers can distribute newspapers in the morning from 6 to 8.

Industries have been allowed to function with limited workforce, while factories, construction and labour works have also been allowed with guidelines issued in the past, the official added.

Till Monday, Durg district had reported 44,053 COVID- 19 cases, including 803 deaths.

Actives cases in the district stood at 12,589, as per official figures.

The district has recorded over 12,500 cases in the last two weeks.

Meanwhile, the central government has decided to deploy high-level multi-disciplinary teams in 11 districts of the state which have been witnessing a spike in cases and deaths due to the infection, officials said.

These teams will assist the state health department and local authorities in COVID-19 surveillance, control and containment measures, a senior health official here said.

The two-member team for each district consists of a clinician/epidemiologist and a public health expert, she said.

The teams will monitor COVID-19 management, especially in testing, surveillance and containment operations, enforcement of COVID-19-appropriate behaviour, availability of hospital beds, ambulances, ventilators and medical oxygen, among others, she said.

We are yet to get confirmation when these teams will reach the state, she added.