Containment zone tag to go if no case found for 14 days: Maharashtra Minister Rajesh Tope

An area tagged as a COVID-19 containment zone will be de-notified if no new infected patient is found there for 14 days in a row instead of the earlier protocol of 28 days, Maharashtra Minister Rajesh Tope said on Friday. He said that there were around 3,900 containment zones across the state at present.

Speaking to reporters here, Tope said that as per the protocol till now, a containment zone comes to an end when no new COVID-19 patient is found there for 28 days in a row.

The minister reiterated that no movement from and towards a containment zone is allowed except for essential services. The restrictions in the containment zones continue even though other parts of the state have been unlocked in a phased manner, he said.

"Now, the period over which a containment zone is de-notified has been reduced to 14 days from 28 days. This means, if no new patient is found in a containment zone for 14 days in a row, it will be de-notified," he said.

"The barricades there will be removed and people can then step outside like those in other areas," the NCP leader said.

(Photo Credit for representation: PTI)