Ludhiana requires targeted, tough control measures

 How covid-19 spread can be arrested in posh localities of the city?

Restaurants, bars, pubs, food joints in posh areas of various cities must follow the SOPs directed by the local government. All the guidelines must be followed strictly. The public should avoid eating street food as it's unhealthy. The local market must follow social distancing norms. A limited number of people must be allowed to enter the shops, that too, after sanitisation. The lockdown must be imposed considering the Covid-19 cases count in that area and containment zones must be closely monitored. Yes, the Union Health Ministry has issued guidelines to ramp up testing at district levels. It will first be implied on the healthcare workers and various health departments. Well-planned strategies must be brought up in order to curb the spike in Covid-19 cases. People should stay at home and relish their long-break from monotonous routine.

Smriti Chaudhary

Motivate people to follow norms

Covid-19 cases are rising at a rapid pace in many areas of the district. Everyday many areas are declared as containment zones. To control the spread of Covid-19 at the district-level strict steps need to taken. Since Unlock 1.0 people are flouting the norms with impunity which has led to rise in cases. The foremost duty of the district administration is to test more and more people who are at risk of getting infected. The district administration must encourage people not to step out of their houses needlessly. This can be done by motivating those who follow the rules and regulations. Those who disobey the rules must be given stern punishment. Social media is an effective way to influence the minds of people in a positive way. The containment zones must be properly sealed and district officials must keep a vigilant eye on movement of every person in a containment zone. We all need to be together to come out of the situation. Everyone must take precautions to protect themselves.

Manmohan Kaur

Curtail municipal services

Within cities, places such as restaurants, gyms, hospitals, even taxis may be more contaminated as these are public places and often visited by the general public. To stop the spurt in cases, some municipal services must be curtailed. However, doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, police officers and firefighters, the technicians who maintain the electrical grid, gas and phone lines have to out for their duty. The delivery of food and medicine must continue. Strict action should be taken by the police for enforcing social distancing norms.

Vishali Kalra

Make masks part of your attire

Covid-19 cases are rising in posh localities in the city. We should follow social distancing norms whenever we step out of our houses. Wearing masks should be a part of our routine. Hands should be washed at regular intervals and we should carry sanitisers in our pockets. People from outside areas should be quarantined before coming in contact to others. Buses and railways should be prohibited or should be sanitised before the use of passengers. The district administrations should properly execute the rules and regulations and avoid public gatherings in the city.

Aliza

Follow govt guidelines

As we know that the risk and spread of Covid-19 are increasing day by day. Now, it is spreading in posh colonies of the city too. General precautions such as wearing mask, social distancing, using alcohol-based hand sanitiser can help to control its spread. Instant hospitalisation of patients is the need of the hour. Personal safety measures such as avoid crowded places and following all guidelines by the government are really important.

Harleen Kaur

Cut travel, sanitise surroundings

Nowadays, spread of Covid-19 has tremendously escalated in posh areas as affluent people living there generally have weaker immunity. Steps to reduce the spread of the virus, include cutting travel and proper sanitisation. These people can easily afford superior healthcare so if anyone suffers from cough, cold etc. he/she must visit a doctor. Their kinfolks should strictly take precautions. I believe that, these points will be really supportive to arrest the spread.

Bimalpreet Kaur

Restrict movement of elderly persons, kids

To cut the spread of Covid in posh localities, measures such as restriction in movement of elders and children at night should be adopted. On the weekend nearby eating places should be closed so that people don't come out. Pets should be kept inside. These measures will surely curb the spread of Covid-19.

Jhalak Jalan

Strictly follow travel advisory

There is no denying to the fact that Covid cases are mushrooming tremendously but prevention is still an option. Its spread in posh areas implies that it can arrest not only the unhygienic poor class but also affluent people having luxurious lifestyle also. Respiratory hygiene and travel advisory need to be followed. Since Covid-19 is contagious, cluster formation should be avoided. At district-levels traffic movement restrictions should be adhered to. Not only the government but locals are equally responsible for ceasing the spread by following the norms laid by the government. Apps such as Aarogya Setu and COVA should be installed in mobile phones. Combined efforts of public and officials will lead through.

Ishita Katyal

Follow social distancing norms, wash hands

To arrest the spread of coronavirus in posh areas and other regions of the city Ludhiana, we all must take care of the following steps. We all must keep social distance by maintaining a distance at least one metre from other people in public places. We must avoid gathering such as melas and haats, gathering in religious places and other social functions. We must make others aware and educate our kids to avoid physical contact such as handshakes and touching surfaces such as table tops, chairs and door handles. We all must stay at home. We must cover our mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue when coughing and sneezing and disposed of used tissue immediately. We all must wash hands with soap or water when coming home and must sanitise the surface, table and door handles regularly. The local and district government must issue other instructions on the doorstep of each household to arrest the spread of Covid-19 and issue an order to obey all instructions.

Farzana Khan

Make people aware of rules

Since, Covid-19 is a communicable disease, its spread can be arrested before a vaccine is developed. We must practice social distancing whenever we venture out of our houses. Besides, this another significant element is to follow the guidelines and precautions that have been advised by the government such as maintaining physical distance, applying masks and using sanitisers at regular intervals. Firstly, the district administration should sort out the areas having a large number of cases. Secondly, they should make people aware of the rules and regulations and also the symptoms along with the comprehensive information about the pandemic to the public through various platforms. Thirdly, they should also punish violators with heavy sum of money that they don't repeat the same activity again. As responsible citizens, we should abide by the guidelines wholeheartedly and should also consider it as our responsibility towards the nation. By following these instructions, it would not only lead to our well-being but will also be beneficial to society.

Harkirat Singh Shankar

Check influx of those having travel history

The spike in Covid-19 cases in posh colonies of the city is because of those coming back from places having high infection of the disease. This movement of Punjabis is being encouraged by the state government itself. Those coming in are well-to-do people and they live in posh areas and so those infected are the cause for further spread of the infection here. There is a strong need to regulate the entry of these people in the state. These persons have the right to come back and cannot be stopped, however, to minimise the possibility of further infection, they must be thoroughly screened at entry points and must be quarantined for 14 days under the supervision of official concerned. It is the duty of the state government to make adequate arrangements for the boarding and lodging of these persons during the quarantine period. There should be no exception to this process. Further, all these people must be educated about all steps such as staying inside for safe life, use of mask while going out if necessary, washing hands with soap etc. Also, a number of known district-level measures must be undertaken, including adequate support from the police in checking the movement of people during the lockdown period. Necessary arrangements for providing medical help to the needy must also be made available free of cost at the city and district level. These steps will surely help in arresting the infection rate in the district in general and in posh colonies in the city in particular.

Gautam Dev

Urge residents to undergo home-quarantine

The pandemic has led to a widespread damage to lives of all people. In the past few days it has been witnessed that there is sudden spike in the number of cases in posh areas of the city. There could be many reasons about how it is happening. But now it is the time that whatever the reasons are, its spread has to be arrested. Frequent police patrolling is needed to ensure social distancing. Maids, guards and other employees in houses should wear gloves and masks and use sanitiser. Vehicles should also be sanitised. Also at the district-level, some steps are needed to be taken. The DC's of respective districts should declare lockdown if required. The containment zones should be taken care of. Home-quarantine should be encouraged. So, these are some of the ways by which the situation can be controlled in its best way. It will definitely help the country to win the battle against coronavirus.

Deepantika jain

Conduct free testing

Covid 19 cases are increasing at a very fast pace but as far as the position of Punjab is concerned, it's much better as compared to other states because recovery rate in the state is higher even than the national average. Cases are rapidly increasing in posh locality of the city and 50 per cent cases are from west Ludhiana. There is a need of strict surveillance in the city. Situation can be arrested with the help of precautions taken by the district level management, citizens and front warriors. Areas must be sealed properly and incoming and outgoing of citizens should be strictly prohibited. One and most important duty of the government is to conduct medical test of each and every citizen in the district free of cost. Many people having symptoms don't come out because of the fear of heavy medical treatment charges. They come forward when situation seems out of control and by that time it affects others also and create huge burden on society. The government should fix equal rates of medical treatment weather it's a civil hospital or private one. It should compensate the loss of private hospitals from donations or funds set up by the government because government is getting huge amount in the form of donations from the general public and these funds should be utilised for the public welfare.

Ritu Priya

Early detection is the key

In the absence of a robust disease-monitoring network in place, and due to domestic help seeking attitude of elite class residents, Covid-19 seems to have spreading its tentacles in the posh areas also. However, its early detection is the key to combating the spread of coronavirus. A virus, in general has a molecular "clock" that allows us to estimate when it first jumped to humans or entered a particular human population. That speed of detection is unprecedented and crucial. Besides, time is of the essence when it comes to responding to outbreaks. Researchers are of the view that a city requires "targeted and tough" control measures to arrest the pandemic's spread. So, there is a need to announce several special research projects to urgently ramp up national R&D efforts against the epidemic such as to help in search of potential metabolite biomarker signature for Covid-19 infection and recognition of novel targets for therapy, to help develop viricidal coatings for inanimate surfaces used in healthcare settings, for the development of antiviral surface coatings to prevent the spread of infections caused by influenza virus, to develop material which may be used as a virus tactic and be applied to mops to disinfect the surfaces to remove any adhering viruses or bacteria, and for the development of antibody-based capture.

RAVI CHANDER GARG

Allow movement only with e-passes

The situation in Ludhiana is worrying. There is a steep rise in the cases throughout the district. Harsh measures like strictness in the containment zones, sealing of the district borders, movement only with e- passes etc. are to be taken to contain the pandemic. It is high time now that even the residents of the city have to understand the severity of the situation, otherwise it will not take long for Ludhiana to turn into another Maharashtra or New Delhi. Relaxations are not given that Covid-19 has abated, these are given because we need to take care of our economy as well. So, venture out of your houses only if there is any dire emergency, otherwise a self-imposed lockdown should be in practice. On the other hand, administration should speed up testing so that the cases are detected and positive patients are quarantined at the earliest. Take care of your health, eat nutritious and healthy food, do physical exercises to remain fit and maintain hygiene in and around your living as well as working places.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi

Act responsibly

We are noticing a big surge in Covid-19 cases everyday. Now, the numbers are increasing at an alarming rate in our country. It is a serious concern for all of us to control the spread of Covid-19. The virus has also spread its tentacles in posh colonies of the city. To put a curb on the further spread, the local and district government should formulate some plans and execute these properly. Nobody should be allowed to move outside without any work. Local and district level governments must issue passes to those who have work or attend their offices. Other than these people nobody should be allowed to move outside. Those who are not obeying the advisories issued by the government must be dealt with strictly. Workers must be employed to sanitise the doors and entry gate of each colony at least thrice in a week. Teachers from schools must be appointed for three to four hour to monitor the situation and roaming of people without purpose in these areas. NGOs must come forward to render their services to control the spread of Covid-19 in other areas. Local government must distribute masks in each and every household. Proper care must be taken of social distancing in these areas particularly in hospitals and shops. Each one must obey the rules and norms issued by the government regarding Covid-19. We all must lend our support to local and district government to arrest the further spread of Covid-19.

Dr Mohd Saleem Farooqui

More awareness needed

Even though the district administration is putting in a lot of efforts to have the situation under control still some stringent methods need to be followed. The spread of the disease has been increasing and spreading to different parts of the city except the containment zones. Public places need to monitored to check if proper precautionary measures are in place or not. People need to be apprised time and again regarding the use of masks as many of them don't even know why these are a necessity. More awareness is needed, especially among labourers as they live in close proximity to each other and come to work in our homes hence increasing the risk. The facilities at quarantine centers must be made up to the mark and proper measures must be in place. Better to isolate asymptomatic people at home and have regular checks on them rather than taking them to quarantine centers and exposing to a greater risk. Curfew timings must be strictly enforced and check on weekend curfew must be kept.

SIMRAN KAUR

Launch aggressive containment drive

In order to curb cases in posh localities, the local authorities need to launch an aggressive containment drive in areas from where cases are reported. Identification and quarantining of high-risk contacts can be helpful in keeping numbers in control. Besides, aggressive testing a large number of high-risk contacts is also needed. The police should ensure that residents follow government guidelines in letter and spirit. Local authorities can take help of NGOs and social organisations to spread the message of social distancing, wearing masks and follow good respiratory hygiene. Arresting virus spread in posh localities is easier as compared to rural areas due to better access to facilities in the former.

Tripti rani

Quarantine those returning from abroad

Residents of posh localities in the city are, in general, are financially sound and well-educated. They are aware of their rights and realise their duty towards society. They have access to clean drinking water, healthy food and can stay at home for longer periods of time as compared to others. The prime reason of spike in cases in these areas is due to the arrival of NRIs or those having a foreign travel history. The local municipal authorities should check the influx of such people, monitor their movement and put them under quarantine. Residents should be apprised of their responsiblity to follow the law also and act as law-abiding citizens.

Azmat singh

Provide essentials items on the doorstep

We have observed that Covid-19 cases are rising in the posh areas of the city. Its spread can be checked by converting hotspot areas into micro-containment zones by the administration. Street vendors should not be allowed to enter containment zones. Essentials should be provided to people of that area on doostep till the situation becomes normal. The area/locality should remain sealed till no case is reported for at least 14 days in succession. If no patient is found positive, that area should be reopened. The district administration should act judiciously in this regard. priyanka chawla

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OPEN HOUSE COMMENT

Strictly adhere to preventive measures

Minna Zutshi

The only way to contain the spread of Covid-19 is through the strict adherence to the preventive measures. In the past few days Ludhiana has seen a surge in Covid-19 cases. Unlock 2.0 started from July 1. The state government and the district administration have issued guidelines for phased reopening for Unlock 2.0. Social / political / sports / entertainment / academic / cultural / religious functions remain prohibited. So is the movement of individuals for all the non-essential activities between 10 pm and 5 am. Persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidity, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years have been advised to stay indoors except for essential requirements and for health purposes. Spitting is prohibited and punishable with fine. There is no gainsaying that three-point precaution of hand hygiene, physical distancing and wearing of facemasks is imperative and must be followed by one and all if the spread of Covid-19 is to be arrested. In religious places, commercial establishments, factories, industries, restaurants the standard operating procedures have to be followed in letter and spirit. Any laxity on any count on part of even a single individual can lead to spiralling of Covid-19 cases.

OPEN HOUSE QUESTION

Is the Health Department prepared to handle monsoon-related diseases along with the Covid-19 pandemic that has still not been contained?

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