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Centre allows states to impose local restrictions as COVID-19 cases surge

The MHA urges states/UTs to strictly enforce Test-Track-Treat protocol

A medic takes swab sample from a passenger for Covid-19 test amid surge in coronavirus cases, at Kopar Khairane Railway Station, in Navi Mumbai | PTI A medic takes swab sample from a passenger for Covid-19 test amid surge in coronavirus cases, at Kopar Khairane Railway Station, in Navi Mumbai | PTI

Keeping in view of the fresh surge in COVID-19 cases in some parts of the country, the Union Home Ministry on Tuesday urged all states and Union Territories to strictly enforce the Test-Track-Treat protocol, ensure observance of COVID appropriate behaviour and scale up the vaccination drive.

The MHA has issued fresh guidelines which allow states and UTs, based on their assessment of the situation, to impose local restrictions at district, city or ward level to contain the spread of COVID-19. The new guidelines will come into force on April 1.

There would be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods including those for cross land-border trade under treaties with neighbouring countries. No separate permission will be required for such movements, the ministry said.

“States and UTs, where the proportion of RT-PCR tests is less, should rapidly increase it, to reach the prescribed level of 70 percent or more,” it said, adding that the new positive cases, detected as a result of intensive testing, need to be isolated and quarantined at the earliest and provided timely treatment. 

“Further as per the protocol, their contacts have to be traced at the earliest, and similarly isolated/ quarantined,” it said.

Based on the positive cases and tracking of their contacts, the district authorities should carefully demarcate the containment zones, at the micro level, taking into consideration the guidelines prescribed by the health ministry. The list of containment zones should be notified on the websites by the respective district collectors and by the states/ UTs, and should also be shared with MoHFW on a regular basis.

“Within the demarcated containment zones, containment measures, as prescribed by MoHFW, shall be scrupulously followed, which include strict perimeter control, intensive house-to-house surveillance, contact tracing, ssurveillance for ILI/ SARI cases etc,” the MHA said.

It further said that local district, police and municipal authorities would be responsible to ensure that the containment measures are strictly followed and that the state/ UT governments should ensure the accountability of the officers concerned in this regard. 

“All activities have been permitted outside Containment Zones and SOPs have been prescribed for various activities. These include:  movement by passenger trains; air travel; metro trains; schools; higher educational institutions; hotels and restaurants; shopping malls, multiplexes and entertainment parks; yoga centres and gymnasiums; exhibitions, assemblies and congregations, etc,” the MHA said.

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