Salt Lake’s GC block was sealed on Thursday by a joint team of police and the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation after a 42-year-old man was admitted to a private hospital in the township with Covid-19 symptoms, officials said.

Police have barricaded the area by guardrails to ensure no one steps in or out without a genuine reason.

The stretch under total lockdown comprises mostly residential buildings. Several bank branches, a café, a few grocery stores and sweet shops line the stretch. Most operate from the ground floor of residential houses.

The Salt Lake branch of a private bank operates out of the ground floor of the three-storey house where the 42-year-old businessman stays with his family and his uncle’s family.

More than 200 families stay in GC block.

The sight of cops erecting guardrails prompted a section of residents to head to the nearest grocery store or medicine shop.

“I came to know from my neighbour that the block has been sealed. I needed some grocery items so I took my car out and headed to the market,” said Komal Agarwal, a resident of the block.

Residents have formed a WhatsApp group called “GC block containment area”, where residents can post their requirements for essentials and will get them delivered at their doorsteps.

The group includes the deputy commissioner of police of Salt Lake, Surya Pratap Yadav; the inspector-in-charge of Bidhannagar South police station, Supriya Das; Rajesh Chirimar, a mayoral council member of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation; and another civic official.

The civic officials will respond to requests for sanitisation from residents and the police will have the last word when it comes to allowing any doctor to enter the block.

The civic body and the police will work in tandem to ensure that the residents get their requirements delivered at the earliest.

A group of around 15 volunteers from the block has been formed. Each has a list of senior citizens and those who stay alone. The volunteers will ensure that they have an uninterrupted supply of essentials, including medicines.

Ashim Chakraborty, 75, a resident of the block, said they had been advised not to step out and post their requirements on the group.

“I had stocked up on my regular medicines and also bought some supplies. However, none of us was prepared for a complete lockdown. Messages asking us not to step out have been posted on the WhatsApp group. I don’t have any immediate requirements and hope we won’t face much trouble during the period the area will remain sealed. We have not been told what to do if a pipe in the house leaks or the power line collapses,” said Chakraborty.

The police said the residents had been categorically told that they should only step out to buy essentials such as groceries or vegetables or if there is an emergency. “They must post their requirement of essentials on the WhatsApp group. For any medical emergency, they can call us,” Yadav said.