Officials have banned the entry and exit of people into the wards.

With five COVID-19 positive cases being reported in Padarayanapura and Bapujinagar wards, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has completely sealed areas coming under these two wards. These include some of the most densely populated areas in the city.

This is part of the city administration’s containment plan to check the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Confirming the development, BBMP Commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar told The Hindu that while three positive cases have been reported in Padarayanapura ward, two have been reported in Bapujinagar ward.

“We have identified the source of the virus in one case. The person had attended the religious gathering of the Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin. We are trying to ascertain the source in the other four cases,” he said.

He also said that to begin with the areas will be sealed completely for a period of 14 days. “We will take a call on whether the containment plan needs to be extended, depending on the situation at the end of the 14-day period,” he added.

A senior health official, who spoke to The Hindu on condition of anonymity, said that as part of the containment plan in these areas, residents will not be allowed to go out, while no one, apart from health workers, will be allowed to enter. Already, a house-to-house survey is being conducted till the dead zone (an open space like a playground) by the health workers.

The health workers, apart from conducting the fever survey, would also be closely monitoring the health of the residents.

With the BBMP sealing the two wards, residents have started to panic. Serpentine queues were seen in front of grocery shops and pharmacies.

Justifying the containment plans, the official said: “The COVID-19 cases were earlier restricted to apartments and gated communities. After the religious gathering of the Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin, a few suspected cases have been reported from thickly populated areas. Hence, the containment plans have been put in place.”