On a day that marked the anniversary of lockdown in the country, the Home Ministry issued a new set of guidelines for effective control of Covid-19, which urged the States to strictly follow-test-track-treat protocol, scale-up vaccination drive and ensure all citizens adhere to Covid appropriate behaviour.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ministry was compelled to come up with the guidelines, which will be in force between April 1 and 30, for consolidating the gains achieved in containing the spread of Covid-19, which was very much visible in the substantial decline in active cases continuously for five months. Many States, including Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat and Karnataka, are already witnessing a resurgence in Covid-19 cases.

The Home Ministry asked the States and Union Territories to increase the share of RT-PCR tests in comprehensive testing to beyond 70 per cent, isolate and quarantine newly reported cases, provide timely treatment, and track all possible contacts of positive cases.

Containment zones

It also asked district authorities to demarcate containment zones, based on detecting positive cases and their contacts, at the micro-level, considering the Health Ministry’s guidelines.

Within the demarcated containment zones, containment measures prescribed by the Health Ministry such as strict perimeter control, intensive house-to-house surveillance, contact tracing, surveillance for influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory infection cases need to be carefully followed, the Home Ministry ordered.

It would also be mandatory for district administrations and State governments to notify the list of containment zones on their websites and intimate the information to the Union Health Ministry. It said local district, police and municipal authorities will be responsible for ensuring the adherence to prescribed containment measures and States and Union Territories should ensure their accountability.

At public and workplaces

The Home Ministry also asked the States and UTs to take all necessary measures to promote Covid-19 appropriate behaviour in workplaces and in public, particularly in crowded places. Wearing of face masks, hand hygiene and social distancing should be made mandatory and punitive actions, including the imposition of appropriate fines, should be taken against those who flout these.

The States are allowed to impose local restrictions at the district, sub-district, city or ward level if the situation warrants, but they cannot restrict inter-State or intra-State movements of persons or goods. No separate permission or approval will be required for such movements.

The States are also asked to step up vaccination drives so that the chain of transmission can be broken.

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