The walled city of Ahmedabad, which is under curfew for more than three days, continues to be a challenge for the administration as COVID-19 positive cases crossed 1,000 mark in Gujarat on Friday, and the death toll touched 38.
Out of the 92 cases reported from the state in the last 12 hours, 45 are from Ahmedabad and more than 30 from the walled city or old Ahmedabad. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state stands at 1,021.
The number of cases in old Ahmedabad had seen a spike after those who attended the congregation of Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin tested positive. As part of the cluster containment strategy, Ahmedabad municipal corporation has intensified testing in the affected areas.
Ahmedabad municipal commissioner Vijay Nehra said on Friday that if the people of old Ahmedabad do not become alert then the situation may worsen further. The walled city has a large Muslim presence.
Ahmedabad, the most populous city of Gujarat, accounts for 590 out of the 1,021 recorded cases. As many as 16 para-medical staff, nurses, drivers and assistant municipal commissioner of Ahmedabad have also tested positive for COVID-19.
Referring to the video of Muslim women coming out in the market during curfew relaxation, Nehra said it seems people are not serious about it. “Women are coming out to buy vegetables as if vegetables are more important than life,” he said. More than the novel coronavirus, the fact that people are not cooperating is more challenging, the officer said.
Nehra claimed that they have been able to detect 500 cases because the strategy to chase the virus by going in the areas and doing the testing. He said that if one person can infect 400 persons then we have succeeded to prevent 2 lakh cases.
He said that they are appealing to all political leaders, religious leaders and other key functionaries to request people to adhere to the norms of social distancing.
Mentioning that there is a need for the people in the walled city to change their behaviour, Nehra said it is sad that police has to join. He went on to add that now is the time for the Central Zone (old Ahmedabad) to understand the seriousness.
