At least 700 "super spreaders" were found
coronavirus positive in Ahmedabad in a massive screening of vegetable sellers
and shopkeepers conducted in a week after officials had ordered closure of
shops, except those selling milk and medicines, between May 7 and 14, a senior
bureaucrat said on Saturday.
"Super-spreaders" are potential carriers of the
viral infection who could infect a large number of people coming in their
contact.
They could be vegetable vendors, grocery and milk shop
owners, petrol pump attendants or garbage collectors, who by the nature of
their job carry the risk of contracting and spreading the viral infection.
"About 33,500 super
spreaders were screened and 12,500 (of them) tested for coronavirus infection
over the last one week. Of them, 700 tested positive and were isolated,"
said Additional Chief Secretary Rajiv Gupta, who has been appointed to
oversee works related to COVID-19 in Ahmedabad.
Shops selling essential
items reopened from May 15 on certain conditions in Ahmedabad which had been
under a complete lockdown since May 7.
"Even as grocery shops
and vegetable vendors were allowed to resume their business from May 15,
provided they carried health screening cards, at least 700 'super spreaders'
were isolated after around 12,500 people were tested for coornavirus infection
in a week-long exercise," a senior official said.
Before that about 350
"super spreaders" were detected to have contracted the viral infection
in a campaign launched on April 20.
Gupta said massive
screening was conducted to ensure that the viral infection cannot get
transmitted from the "super spreaders".
He appealed to citizens to
buy only from vendors or shopkeepers who carry "health screening
cards".
"These 'super
spreaders' will have to renew their cards after 14 days,"he said.
Gupta further said the
situation was normalising on the front of supply of essential commodities,
including grocery items and vegetables. He said these items are
supplied in ample quantities after the week-long lockdown was lifted on
Friday.
Grocery shops and
vegetable/fruit vendors can operate their business between 8 am and 3 pm.
Besides, the AMC also
allowed shops to remain open for a few hours in ten containment zones in the
city.
Ahmedabad reported 7,044
coronavirus positive cases, and 473 deaths, as per the data available on May 15
night.
The number of active cases
is 4,260 and that of discharged people is 2,311.