After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of nationwide lockdown till May 3 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country, the health ministry on Wednesday stated that the districts across the country will be classified into three categories - hotspot districts, non-hotspot districts and green zones.

Hotspot Districts, also termed as 'Red Zones', are the districts that require focused attention as they report large numbers of cases or having a high growth rate of infections. These are:

• Highest caseload districts contributing to more than 80 percent of cases in India or
• Highest caseload districts contributing to more than 80 percent of cases for each state in India or 
• Districts with a doubling rate less than four days (calculated every Monday for the last 7 day, to be determined by state governments)

Red Zones have been further categorised into two — hotspot districts with large outbreak and hotspot districts with clusters. Areas under Red Zone will have the strictest lockdown measures to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus. While a large outbreak district would have uniform restrictions throughout the districts, one with a cluster outbreak may see a stricter restriction only in the identified area than the rest of the district.

The government has identified 170 Hotspots and 207 non-hotspot districts as of now. Of the 170 Hotspots, 123 are districts with a large outbreak and 47 are districts with clusters. There is not a single Green Zone in the country as of now.

A red zone declared district can be converted to Orange Zone if no new case is found for 14 days. The district will further be shifted to Green Zone if no new case is found for another 14 days. A Red Zone district can move to Green Zone if no new case is found for the next 28 days.

Here is a graphical classification of districts for better understanding:

Following are the HOTSPOT DISTRICTS with major COVID-19 concentration:

 

Following districts have been identified as Red Zones with clusters:

These might not have uniform restrictions across the districts but strict restrictions only in those areas where more cases are found as compared to rest of the district.

 

The government has also identified districts with comparatively fewer COVID-19 cases. Such districts are also called as non-hotspots; they are as follows: