COVID-19: Kolkata and 3 districts in Bengal among 170 hotspot districts notified by the Centre

Four districts in West Bengal – including Kolkata – were declared as hotspots for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Wednesday by the Union Health Ministry. These are Kolkata, Howrah, East Midnapore and North 24 Parganas.

The Ministry declared 170 districts across the country as hotspots out of which 123 were marked as areas of “large outbreaks”. All six metros in the country were included in the list of hotspots.

The Ministry further classified COVID-19 affected areas into three zones. The red zone which is a hotspot category comprises cities or districts accounting for over 80 per cent of COVID-19 cases in the state or the country. Places where the number of cases double in less than four days will also be included in this category. Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru are currently in the red zone.

Out of 170 hotspots, 43 have reported cluster outbreaks. A cluster outbreak is said to have happened where the cases are found in specific clusters, more than 15 cases are reported and the infection is continuing.

The Ministry has also listed 207 districts as potential hotspots. The red zones can be declared orange zones when no cases are reported from there for 14 days.

All the state governments have been directed to contain the spread of infection in hotspots and gradually bring it down to a green zone. An area can be declared a green zone when no cases are reported from there for 28 days, it was said.