MHA issues fresh COVID-19 guidelines, states asked to focus on 'test-track-treat' protocol

India has witnessed a resurgence in COVID-19 infections since mid-February (File image)

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued fresh guidelines for all states and union territories in effect from April 1 for effective control of COVID-19. The guidelines will remain enforced till at least the end of the month.

The states and UTs have been asked to focus on the "test-track-treat protocol" to avert the second wave of the pandemic.

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, the guidelines issued by the Centre said.

"The new positive cases, detected as a result of intensive testing, need to be isolated/quarantined at the earliest and provided timely treatment," it said, adding that their contacts should also be traced and isolated or quarantined.

Based on the positive cases and tracking of their contacts, containment zones shall be carefully demarcated by the district authorities, at the micro level, the MHA said.

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The list of containment zones will be notified on the websites by the respective District Collectors and by the states and UTs. This list will also be shared with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on a regular basis.

"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," the guidelines added.

Within the demarcated containment zones, measures such as intensive house-to-house surveillance, contact tracing and surveillance for influenza like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) cases would be carried out, it stated.

"The main focus of the guidelines is to consolidate the substantial gains achieved in containing the spread of COVID-19, which was visible in the sustained decline in the number of active cases, continuously for about 5 months," the MHA said.

The Union home ministry has also asked the states and UTs to promote COVID-19 appropriate behaviour in work places and in public, especially in crowded places.

For strict enforcement of wearing of face masks, hand hygiene and social distancing, states and UTs may consider administrative actions, including imposition of appropriate fines, it said.

The MHA has also mandated the imposition of local-level curbs to contain fresh outbreak of cases. "States and UTs, based on their assessment of the situation, may impose local restrictions, at district/sub-district and city/ ward level, with a view to contain the spread of COVID-19," the guidelines stated.

On inter-state movement of people and goods, the Centre has categorically ruled out the imposition of restrictions.

"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," it said.

The MHA has also allowed the continuance of permitted activities outside containment zones. "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," it said.

The standard operational procedures (SOPs) for permitted activities, as issued by the MHA or the MoHFW, shall be strictly enforced by the authorities concerned, the guidelines added.

The Union home minister has also asked the states and UTs to "rapidly increase" the scale of vaccination.

"While the vaccination drive is proceeding smoothly, the pace is uneven across different States and UTs; and, the slow pace of vaccination in some States/ UTs is a matter of concern. Vaccination against COVID-19, in the present scenario, is critical to break the chain of transmission," it said.

"Therefore, all State/ UT Governments should rapidly step up the pace of vaccination, to cover all priority groups in an expeditious manner," the MHA added.