Delhi RWAs seeking details of Covid cases, containment areas; say contact tracing is not done | Latest Delhi News

As active Covid-19 cases increase at an alarming rate and the number of containment areas in the city exceeds 11,400, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) are now calling for access to more information on the location of these containment areas and the zonal distribution of positive cases so that they can assist patients in their neighborhood as well as the government in its efforts to contain the current wave of infections.

On Monday, the nation’s capital reported 19,166 new cases of Covid-19 – after conducting 766.70 tests – and 17 deaths. The positivity rate – the rate of positive samples among the total tested – is now at 25%, according to the Delhi government’s daily health bulletin.

On Sunday, Delhi recorded 22,751 new cases of Covid-19, the highest single-day spike since May 1, 2021, when the city recorded 25,219 cases with a positivity rate of 31.61%.

In light of the new wave of infections, many RWAs have said that unlike the second wave last year, the list of containment areas was not shared with them, while there are also complaints that contact tracing is not happening at the pace it should. They also said that as the self-testing kits are used by many people, several positive cases go unrecorded, which keeps the number of active and daily cases relatively lower in the government’s daily health report. .

BS Vohra, who heads the East Delhi RWA Joint Front, said the lack of transparency is an obstacle in fighting the spread of the pandemic. “There is no clarity on the number of containment areas or their locations or homes with home isolation cases. Official data should be shared to improve compliance. It is not enough to share the number (of cases) in the district,” he said.

Pankaj Aggarwal of Safdarjung RWA Development Zone and General Secretary of Common Front Delhi RWA said there was a blackout of information regarding the containment zones. “There are already so many WhatsApp groups in which district administration officials are also members. We don’t even know if there’s a containment area next to our lane. How are RWAs supposed to help families with food or other necessities when we are unaware of the situation? ” he said.

A senior government official said District Surveillance Officers (DSOs) and their teams were following standard operating procedure for home isolation. The GSDL sends data by district to the teleconsultation company every two hours to initiate home isolation of each positive patent. “The teleconsultation company then calls to check the patients’ symptoms and then shares the patient data with the relevant district. The task of the district administration this time is to report the required cases to the health institutions based on the feedback from the patients during the teleconsultation. At the same time, DSO teams are also carrying out home visits to check on patients and provide them with medical kits containing medicines, a pulse oximeter and a thermometer,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

But, a few district officials in the field have acknowledged that 100% contact tracing is no longer viable. “There are many patients who do not update the government app or notify district teams of their Covid positive status. That’s the biggest challenge this time around, as people are now getting tested at home using self-test kits. These patients see their own family doctor and receive care at home. Accordingly, they are not necessarily included in government records,” said a watchdog, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A second senior government official said the administration now operates about 150 24-hour hotlines with 25 operators to extend assistance to residents on the 1031 Covid helpline. Data viewed by HT showed that the number of calls made to the number rose from just two on January 1 to 313 on January 7.

BM Bakshi, Head of New Friends Colony RWA, said: ‘We have not come across any cases in which contact tracing is taking place. There is no access to the locations of the containment zones, no consultation with the RWAs. it is as if we are no longer part of the system. How are we supposed to help others if such a secret is kept? ” he said.

Chetan Sharma, Secretary General of the RWA Confederation of the NCR, said RWAs can play a key role in ensuring Covid waste is lifted in time. “If announcements regarding compliance can be made, local SHOs and SDMs can hold online outreach meetings with RWAs, this will help streamline the mechanism,” he said.

Rajiv Kakria, a member of GK-1 RWA and a member of the Save Our City campaign, said that although coordination with district and municipal authorities is better in their area and people are coming forward voluntarily to announce the addition of new cases, no contact tracing is taking place. “The government should issue a white paper on preparedness as there is a clear trust deficit. RWAs can help the administration control facilities and maintain vigilance. There should be full transparency in those times,” he said.