Here’s all you need to know about India’s Red, Orange and Green zone containment plan

• A red zone would be a district or city that contributes to more than 80% of the cases in the state.
• The government in the non-hotspot list also marked 207 other districts as potential hotspots or orange zones.
• However, Green zones are the districts where there is no COVID-19 case.

After extending the nationwide lockdown, the union government on Wednesday (April 15) divided various districts into three zones to contain the Coronavirus at this stage.

The three zones are divided as red, orange and green — depending on the number of COVID-19 cases in those areas.

“Containment operation would be deemed over when there is no case reported in 28 days from an area after the last case tests negative. Hotspots (designated red zones) will be assumed to be undertaking effective containment activities if no case is reported in the next 14 days (designated orange zones) and will be deemed successful in containment if no case is reported for 28 days (designated green zones),” said Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan said.

What is a ‘red zone’ or a hotspot?

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a hotspot which is also called a red zone is a district or city that contributes to more than 80% of the cases in the state.

Also, areas that show a high rate of infection, which doubles in less than four days - will also come under this category. The ministry has released a list of 170 hotspot districts, which includes all six metros and various other large cities.

Orange and green zones

The government also marked 207 other districts as potential hotspots or orange zones. It asked states to ensure a containment outbreak in these regions.

The only way that a district or region can be brought out of the red zone is when there is no new case of Coronavirus for at least 28 continuous days. Once this is achieved the district would be called a green zone, that is COVID-19 free area.

However, green zones are the districts where no COVID-19 cases are reported, and a limited functionality may be allowed after April 20, as per the government orders.

Sudan also wrote to Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories, asking them to divide their states and UTs into two sections —hotspots and non-hotspot areas.

States also need to identify hotspots based on the rate of infection. The exercise of identification of hotspots, she says, has to be done on a weekly basis, every Monday. She has advised strict containment plans for such clusters.

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