Gurgaon malls reopening next week, containment zones in distt to face more curbs

Shopping malls in Gurgaon will be allowed to reopen next week while religious places will stay closed amid sterner curbs on containments zones in district, said officials on Friday.

Gurgaon Municipal Corporation Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh spelt out ministration’s plans to tackle COVID-19 spre in Haryana’s worst-hit district during a press meet.

Singh dressed press conference in Gurgaon along with Deputy Commissioner Amit Khatri and Deputy Commissioner of Police Nitika Gehlot.

Shopping malls in Gurgaon district will be allowed to reopen next week with due herence to all anti-COVID precautions, including maintenance of social distancing norms, he said, ding violations of lockdown’s standard operation procedure will be dealt with sternly.

In case of violations, malls may even be ordered to close down again, he said.

In response to a question, Singh said at present re is no plan to open religious places.

Under Centre’s June 8 'Unlock-1' plan after 84-day-long, country-wide lockdown since March 25, shopping malls and religious places were not opened in Gurgaon due to a sudden spike in COVID cases in district.

Gurgaon has emerged as worst-hit district in Haryana with nearly 5,000 cases of coronavirus infection and 81 fatalities so far.

After reporting around 150 cases daily for several days, prevalence of infection, however, has shown a comparative stabilizing trend with only around 100 cases being reported for last three to four days.

Amid reports that re could be limited lockdown in Gurgaon, Deputy Commissioner Khatri said no lockdown is to be imposed in district, which, however, will face sterner curbs on its containment zones, numbering 107 at present.

He said intensive screening will be done to check health of people living in those areas.

Out of total 4,944 cases in district, 3,267 people have been cured.

He said that re has also been an increase in testing and on an average, 700 samples are being tested daily.

RTPCR testing machines have also been installed in civil hospital and rapid antigen test kits have also been received by district.

official told reporters that five private labs have been issued show-cause notices by district civil surgeon for not taking correct dress and phone numbers of suspected patients during sample collection.

Apart from this, 800 challans have been issued by Municipal Corporation to those violating social distancing norms and not wearing masks and so far, a fine of Rs 4 lakh has been recovered on account of lockdown breaches.

Besides, five FIRs have been registered against those who were allegedly found spreing rumours about COVID-19 in public.