Rongli Bazaar sealed, contact mapping ordered

23 Covid cases from GREF camp

No movement of people outside their houses till July 19

BIJOY GURUNG
GANGTOK: Twenty six new Covid-19 positive cases were reported in the past 24 hours taking Sikkim’s tally of active cases to 67. Among them, 23 positive cases were from the GREF camp near Rongli bazaar, said Health director general-cum-secretary Dr. Pempa T. Bhutia in his Saturday evening health bulletin.
Remaining three persons were undertaking facility quarantine at SICB near Jorethang. They have been brought to the isolation ward in STNM hospital here.
The total coronavirus cases from the 130 RCC GREF compound, Rongli now stands at 29 with six workers staying there first testing Covid-19 positive on July 7. The 23 GREF personnel who tested positive are the primary contacts of the first group based in the same compound.
Altogether there were 47 persons staying in the Rongli GREF compound since last month, already declared as containment zone when the first six cases were reported.
Following the fresh coronavirus cases, DC (east) Raj Yadav on Saturday notified the Rongli bazaar - about a half a km away from the GREF camp - as a containment zone to prevent further spread of the contagion. The containment zone will be in place till July 19 or till further orders.
It is feared that Rongli bazaar may become a probable Covid-19 hotspot unless strict containment measures are taken immediately.
Containment boundaries have been defined for Rongli bazaar where the local authorities are to establish clear entry and exit points for strict perimeter control. Movement of all vehicles and persons (except essential services or medical emergencies) will be completely stopped in the containment zone. There shall be no movement of any person outside their houses or camps except in emergency cases, the order reads.
Similarly, all shops and establishments within the containment zone will remain closed. Shops selling PDS, groceries, fruits, meat, fish, bread and milk, medicines, LPG dealers and petrol pumps are exempted.
All roads including rural roads connecting with Rongli bazaar will be guarded constantly by police. The Rongli SDPO was directed to ensure sufficient deployment of police personnel and to set up barricades to seal Rongli bazaar.
PPEs are to be provided to the frontline warriors working in the containment zone. The sub-divisional authorities are to ensure proper sanitisation of all households, settlements and vehicles within the containment zone.
All work sites of 130 RCC, GREF were ordered to be closed immediately except the emergency/disaster works. The GREF unit was ordered to place all its labourers under quarantine in the camp or home quarantine after consultation with the Rongli SDM and the Rongli medical officer.
Action under section 188 of IPC and CrPc section 144 will be initiated against those found violating the prohibitory orders.
The GREF comes under Project Swastik of BRO which is engaged in road-widening and maintenance works in some highways of east and north districts of Sikkim.
During the containment period, the Rongli medical officer would be engaging ASHA and Aganwadi workers and list the contacts of all suspect/laboratory confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the area and map the contacts to determine the potential spread of the contagion. The list of such contacts shall be provided to the Rongli SDM for quarantining of such contacts in appropriate quarantine centres, the order reads.
Daily house to house active surveillance would be performed in Rongli bazaar.
As per the officials, there around 4000 persons in Rongli bazaar and the total population would come to more than 6,000 in the whole containment zone.