News Analysis India

Tag: lockdown restrictions

  • Test-track-treat and vaccinate: Centre asks states to ensure ‘carefully calibrated’ lockdown opening

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Saturday asked the states and union territories to ensure the easing of COVID-related lockdown and opening up of activities in a “calibrated manner”, pointing out that the easing of norms has led to crowding in some markets and other places.

    The Home Ministry urged states to ensure the “extremely important” five-fold strategy of COVID-appropriate behaviour, test-track-treat and vaccination to break the chain of transmission. In a letter to the states, Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla emphasised the need to continue adopting COVID-appropriate behaviour to contain the spread of the pandemic.

    Asking the state chief secretaries and administrators of UTs to step up the pace of vaccination, to cover the maximum number of people expeditiously, Bhalla said vaccination against Covid-19, in the present scenario, is critical to breaking the chain of transmission.

    The home secretary said during the second wave, a significant surge in cases was witnessed in several states and UTs, and many of them imposed restrictions to contain the spread of the infection. “With a decline in the number of active cases, many states and UTs have started relaxing restrictions. I would like to highlight that the decision to impose or ease restrictions has to be taken, based on the assessment of the situation at the ground level,” Bhalla said, in the letter to states and UTs.

    “While opening up, it would be extremely important to follow the five-fold strategy of Covid appropriate behaviour, test-track-treat and vaccination,” he said. Bhalla said regular monitoring of appropriate behaviour is required to prevent relapse.

    “A system should be in place at the microlevel to ensure that whenever cases rise in a smaller place, it gets checked there itself, through local containment measures as per the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry,” the advisory added.

  • Test-track-treat and vaccinate: Centre asks states to ensure lockdown opening up is ‘carefully calibrated’

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The easing of Covid-related lockdown norms has led to crowding in some markets and other places, the Centre said on Saturday, as it urged states to ensure the “extremely important” five-fold strategy of Covid-appropriate behaviour, test-track-treat and vaccination to prevent the spread of the disease.

    In a communication to all states and Union Territories (UTs), Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla also said that vaccination against COVID-19, in the present scenario, is critical to break the chain of transmission.

    Therefore, all state and UT governments should step up the pace of vaccination, to cover maximum number of people in an expeditious manner, he said.

    The home secretary said that during the second Covid wave, a significant surge in cases was witnessed in several states and UTs, and many of them imposed restrictions in order to contain the spread of the infection.

    “With a decline in the number of active cases, many states and UTs have started relaxing restrictions.

    I would like to highlight that the decision to impose or ease restrictions has to be taken, based on the assessment of the situation at the ground level,” he said.

    Bhalla said while the opening up of activities, after decline in cases is essential, states and UTs must ensure that the whole process is “carefully calibrated”.

    “While opening up, it would be extremely important to follow the five-fold strategy of Covid appropriate behaviour, test-track-treat and vaccination,” he said.

    The home secretary said regular monitoring of COVID-19 appropriate behaviour is required to prevent relapse.

    To reiterate, Covid appropriate behaviour includes mandatory use of masks, hand hygiene, social distancing and also proper ventilation of closed spaces, he said.

    “However, easing of restrictions in some states, have led to resumption of crowding of people in markets etc., without adherence to the norms of Covid appropriate behaviour,” he said.

    It is, therefore essential to ensure that complacency does not set in, and there is no let-up in adhering to Covid appropriate behaviour, while opening up activities, the home secretary said.