Updated: November 26, 2020 8:10:03 pm
A bus terminal is being tested for Covid symptoms on Wednesday. (Photo: Deepak Joshi)
Amid a surge in cases in several states and union territories across the country, the Home Office (MHA) on Wednesday released a new set of “surveillance, containment, and precautionary” guidelines to mitigate the spread of the infection.
The guidelines will go into effect on December 1 and will remain in effect until the end of the month. Based on their assessment of the situation on the ground, Union states and territories may impose local restrictions such as night curfews, but it cannot enforce a local blockade without first consulting with the central government.
With the new set of guidelines, the Center has now given states the leeway to impose whatever type of restriction they deem appropriate as long as they do not get in the way of the interstate movement of both public goods and goods. The MHA has reiterated that states cannot seal borders.
The ministry said that local police and municipal authorities are responsible for ensuring that the guidelines are strictly followed.
Here’s a breakdown of the new guidelines issued by the MHA
Surveillance and containment
Union states and territories have been directed to ensure careful demarcation of containment zones by district authorities at a micro level, taking into account the guidelines prescribed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to this respect.
Within demarcated containment zones, all containment measures prescribed by MoHFW must be strictly followed. These include:
– Only essential activities will be allowed in the containment areas.
– There will be a strict perimeter control to ensure that people do not move in or out of these areas, except in the case of medical emergencies and to maintain the supply of essential goods and services.
– Intensive house-to-house surveillance will be carried out by surveillance teams trained for this purpose.
– The tests will be carried out according to the prescribed protocol.
Markets closed in Shimla on Sunday due to the increase in coronavirus cases. (Express photo by Pradeep Kumar)
– A list of contacts will be kept regarding all persons found positive, along with their tracking, identification, quarantine and contact tracking for 14 days (80 percent of contacts will be traced within 72 hours).
– Rapid isolation of Covid-19 patients will be ensured in treatment facilities or at home.
– The clinical intervention will be administered as prescribed.
– Surveillance of ILI / SARI cases will be carried out in health establishments or mobile extension units or through fever clinics in buffer zones.
– Awareness will be raised in communities about appropriate COVID-19 behavior.
Read | Behind the peak of Covid-19 deaths in Delhi: steep peak, late admission, crisis in ICU
– The local district police and municipal authorities are responsible for ensuring that prescribed containment measures are strictly followed and state / UT governments will ensure the accountability of concerned officers in this regard.
Activities permitted outside containment zones
According to the new guidelines, all activities are allowed outside of the containment zones, except the following, which are allowed but with certain restrictions.
– International passenger air travel, as permitted by MHA.
– Movie theaters and theaters, with up to 50 percent capacity.
A worker cleaning up the auditorium before the start of a show at PVR Cinemas in New Delhi. (Express photo by Mimansa Shekhar)
– Pools, only for sportsmen training.
– Showrooms, for business-to-business (B2B) purposes only.
– Social / religious / sports / entertainment / educational / cultural / religious gatherings, with up to a maximum of 50 percent of the capacity of the room, with a ceiling of 200 people in closed spaces; and keep the size of the land / space in sight, in open spaces.
However, based on their assessment, UT states and governments can lower the maximum limit to 100 people or less indoors.
Local restrictions
– Based on their assessment of the Covid situation on the ground, states and UT may impose local restrictions such as night curfews, in order to contain the spread of Covid-19. However, they are not allowed to impose local closures outside the containment zones without first consulting with the Center.
– States and UT are also required to enforce social distancing in offices. In cities where the weekly case positivity rate is greater than 10 percent, states and UT may consider implementing staggered office hours and other appropriate measures to reduce the number of employees who attend the office at the same time and thereby Therefore, ensure social distancing.
Police officers order passengers to get tested for Covid-19 at the Delhi-Noida border. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)
—There will be no restrictions on the interstate and intrastate movement of people and goods, including those destined for cross-border trade under treaties with neighboring countries. No separate electronic permission, approval, or permission is required.
The Center has also asked states and UT to enforce all necessary measures to promote appropriate Covid-19 behavior, such as wearing a face mask, hand hygiene, and maintaining proper social distance.
Vulnerable people, such as those over 65 or those with comorbidities, pregnant women, and children under the age of 10, are advised to stay home as much as possible.
.
