PTI
New Delhi
The Centre on Thursday directed states and Union territories to continue the ongoing COVID-19 guidelines till June 30, asking them to go for intensive and local containment measures in districts with a high number of cases to check the spread of the deadly disease.
In a fresh order, Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla said strict implementation of containment and other measures has led to a declining trend in the number of new and active cases, across states and UTs, barring some areas in the southern and northeastern regions.
“I would like to highlight that in spite of the declining trend, the number of active cases presently is still very high. It is, therefore, important that containment measures may continue to be implemented strictly.
“Any relaxation by states and UTs, may be considered at an appropriate time, in a graded manner, after assessing the local situation, requirements and resources,” Bhalla said in his order issued to chief secretaries of the states and UTs.
He said the guidelines issued on April 29 for the month of May will continue till June 30.
According to the guidelines, the home ministry told the states to take necessary action to ensure sufficient oxygen-supported beds, ICU beds, ventilators, ambulances including creation of makeshift hospitals, oxygen, as needed, besides sufficient quarantine facilities.
The home ministry, however, did not mention anything about the imposition of lockdown anywhere in the country in the fresh guidelines issued in view of the pandemic.
The fresh guidelines for COVID-19 management came amid some decline in the daily count of the coronavirus cases and improvements in the situation
of the availability of the beds, ICU and oxygen in some parts of the country like Delhi.
The home ministry asked the states and UTs to identify the districts where either the COVID positivity rate was more than 10 per cent or the bed occupancy was over 60 per cent in the last one week.
The districts fulfilling any of the above two criteria should be considered for taking intensive and local containment measures, a statement issued by the MHA said.
The MHA also asked the states to consider the containment measures, as conveyed in an advisory issued by the Union ministry of health and family welfare on April 25 for immediate implementation based on an assessment of the situation.
It said focus will be on containment as a major approach to flatten the current curve of the epidemic.
Movement of individuals shall be strictly prohibited during night hours, except for essential activities in areas where number of cases high.
The spread of the infection has to be controlled through restricting the intermingling among people, the only known host for the COVID-19 virus, the guidelines said.