New Delhi: In the wake of second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in some states of the country, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order on Wednesday with guidelines for surveillance, containment and caution, which will be effective from December 1, 2020 and to remain in force till end of the month.
In the order it is stated that, States/ UTs mandated to strictly enforce containment measures, SOPs on various activities and COVID-appropriate behavior and exercise caution and regulate crowds.
“The main focus of the guidelines is to consolidate the substantial gains that have been achieved against the spread of COVID-19 which is visible in the steady decline in number of active cases in the country,” the ministry said in a statement.
In line with home minister Amit Shah’s call for “dynamic containment zones” during the chief minister’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the Covid-19 situation in the country, his ministry has asked states and Union Territories to ensure demarcation of containment zones by the district authorities at the micro level.
Local district, police and municipal authorities shall be responsible to ensure that the prescribed Containment measures are strictly followed. Only essential activities allowed in Containment Zones. States and UTs, based on their assessment of the situation, may impose local restrictions, with a view to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Only essential activities permitted in Containment Zones:
Only essential activities has now been allowed in Containment Zones. Local district, police & municipal authorities shall be responsible to ensure that prescribed Containment measures are strictly followed and State/UT Govts shall ensure accountability of concerned officers.
The new guidelines will be effective from December 1, 2020 and to remain in force upto 31.12.2020.
Surveillance and Containment
- States/ UTs to ensure careful demacationof Containment Zones by the district authorities, at the micro level, taking into consideration the guidelines prescribed by MoHFW in this regard. The list of Containment Zones will be notified on the websites by the respective District Collectors and by the States/ UTs. This list will also be shared with MoHFW.
- Within the demarcated Containment Zones, containment measures, as prescribed by MoHFW, shall be scrupulously followed, which includes:
- Only essential activities shall be allowed in the Containment Zones.
- There shall be strict perimeter control to ensure that there is no movement of people in or out of these zones, except for medical emergencies and for maintaining supply of essential goods and services.
- There shall be intensive house-to-house surveillance by surveillance teams formed for the purpose.
- Testing shall be carried out as per prescribed protocol.
- Listing of contacts shall be carried out in respect of all persons found positive, along with their tracking, identification, quarantine and follow up of contacts for 14 days (80 percent of contacts to be traced in 72 hours).
- Quick isolation of COVID-19 patients shall be ensured in treatment facilities/ home (subject to fulfilling the home isolation guidelines).
- Clinical interventions, as prescribed, shall be administered.
- Surveillance for ILI/ SARI cases shall be carried out in health facilities or outreach mobile units or through fever clinics in buffer zones.
- Awareness shall be created in communities on COVID-19 appropriate behaviour.
- Local district, police and municipal authorities shall be responsible to ensure that the prescribed Containment measures are strictly followed and State/ UT Governments shall ensure the accountability of the officers concerned in this regard.
All activities have been permitted outside Containment Zones, except for the following, which have been permitted with certain restrictions:
- International air travel of passengers, as permitted by MHA.
- Cinema halls and theatres, with upto 50 percent capacity.
- Swimming pools, only for training of sports persons.
- Exhibition halls, only for business to business (B2B) purposes.
- Social/ religious/ sports/ entertainment/ educational/ cultural/ religious gatherings, with upto a maximum of 50 percent of the hall capacity, with a ceiling of 200 persons in closed spaces; and keeping of the size of the ground/ space in view, in open spaces.
No restriction on Inter-State and intra-State movement
There shall 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/ approval/ e-permit will be required for such movements, the release by the MHA stated.
Meanwhile, India’s covid-19 cases has surpassed the 90-lakhs mark on Friday with 45822 new cases, while the recovery surged to 84.28 lakhs pushing the national recovery rate to 93.6 percent”. The states that are witnessing a sudden jump in newly infected cases are- Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.