8 housing colonies reopened in Ghaziabad, downgraded to orange zone

The Ghaziabad district administration on Friday opened eight residential societies after no COVID-19 case was reported in 14 days there, officials said.

The eight housing societies include Gyan Khand, Shipra Sun City of Indirapuram Ward No. 2, Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam; Shalimar Garden Extension-2 Sahibabad, Sector-6 Vaishali; Khatu Shyam Colony, Duhai village (Delhi-Meerut road) and Oxy Homez, Bhopura Loni Road, Sahibabad.

District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey told PTI that the new set of guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs has downgraded the area from red zone to orange zone.

The district has been kept in the orange zone because of its decreasing number of COVID-19 cases. In case coronavirus cases increase in future, the district would again reach the red zone and no relaxation would be provided in lockdown that has been extended for another two weeks from May 4.

Meanwhile, a woman died of heart failure on Wednesday evening at a private hospital after being admitted for treatment of high blood pressure, diabetes and infection in the stomach, Chief Medical Officer Dr N K Gupta said.

She was kept on ventilator support but could not be rescued. Her blood samples were sent for COVID-19 test that came out positive. The post-mortem report has confirmed that the woman had died due to heart failure, Gupta said.

Till date, 66 coronavirus positive cases have been reported out of whom 44 patients have recovered, the CMO added.

Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani said police will strictly deal with loiterers during the extended phase of the lockdown and also initiate legal action against them.

The colony parks and public places would be observed by drones to check whether people gather there or flout social distancing norms.

People found driving outside would be challaned and their vehicles seized if the owners take it out without any valid reason, the SSP added.