Karnataka govt issues revised circular on containment, buffer zones

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], Aug 20 : The Karnataka government has notified a revised circular on notification and de-notification of containment and buffer zones in the state.
"In view of the evolving situation of COVID-19 in the state, there are a large number of cases reported in houses and apartments which are closely located. This has led to too many Containment Zones, thus making it difficult for authorities to conduct surveillance activities and ensure perimeter control. In this context, a revised circular is issued on notification and de-notification of containment and buffer zones," the government of Karnataka said.
"Containment Zone is a well-defined "area" around the residence of a COVID-19 positive person where the most intensive measures to prevent the spread of viral infection need to be implemented," the government added.
It further said, "If more number of cases are reported from an area, for operational purposes, the containment zones shall be bigger in size and cover the cluster of closely located COVID patients. The size and boundary shall be decided by - Mapping of cases and contacts, Geographical dispersion of cases and contacts, Area having a well-demarcated perimeter, Enforceability of perimeter control."
"The 'buffer zone' is defined as an area where new cases are more likely to appear. The buffer zone will be an area of 200 metres radius around the perimeter of the "Containment Area" in both urban and rural areas. Deputy Commissioner of the District /Commissioner-BBMP shall define the "Buffer Zone" as per the above criteria by identifying roads, drains, and parks or other features for clear geographical segregation," the government added.
With over 8,000 new cases reported on Thursday, Karnataka has a cumulative count of 2,49,590 COVID-19 cases, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The fatalities rose in the last few days and now stands at 4,327.