A list of 170 hotspot districts was released this evening by the Centre.

New Delhi: A list of 170 hotspot districts was released this evening by the Centre, which includes all six metros and most large cities. The list marked 123 districts as “large outbreaks” — which includes all nine districts of national capital Delhi. Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru Urban, Hyderabad, Chennai, Jaipur and Agra were among the areas marked hotspots also on the list.A “hotspot (red zone) classification” would be districts or cities contributing to more than 80 per cent of the cases in the country or the state. Places that show a high rate of infection — doubling rate less than 4 days – will also be in this category.

All six metros – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad – currently have a high number of cases.

Mumbai alone has 1896 cases today — more than half of the Maharashtra figure of 2916.  Delhi has a total of 1561 cases. Of these, 30 patients recovered and 30 died.  The Delhi government has marked 56 areas as containment zones, which means barring essential services, no one is allowed to get in or out of these areas.

Of the 170 hotspots, 47 shows cluster outbreaks, the government said. Cluster outbreaks are ones where the virus spreads in clusters, over 15 cases are reported and the infection shows no sign of stopping.

Besides, the list also mentions districts where there have been cases, but the numbers were limited. These 207 districts have been marked as potential hotspots, the government has said, tasking the states with ensuring that the outbreak be contained in both red and the orange buffer zones.

For all the hotspots, the state governments have been tasked with ensuring that that the disease be contained. If no new outbreaks are reported within 28 days and all the existing patients recover, the area can be declared a green zone, the government has said.

For a concerted push against the virus in red zones, the government said there should be special teams to conduct door-to-door surveys and tests. The tests will not just be for COVID-19. Patients of influenza-related illness and SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Illness), will also be tested, since such patients have often tested positive for coronavirus.