Centre urges states to do away with restrictions imposed in the wake of Omicron wave

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The Health Ministry has urged states to do away with COVID-19-related additional restrictions that were imposed in view of rising cases last month.

In a letter directed to chief secretaries of all states, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that with the changing epidemiology of the COVID-19 pandemic globally and in India, existing guidelines aimed at minimising transmission and circulation of the virus have been reviewed and updated.

The new direction comes as the country continues to register a sharp decline in new daily cases after touching a peak of nearly 3.7 lakh infections on January 21 while the active COVID-19 cases also fall rapidly.

All the states in India are now recording a swift decline in the number of active COVID-19 cases every day.

Recently, the Centre had also issued revised guidelines for international travellers, which were far more relaxed than the ones issued when the Omicron first started causing a surge in coronavirus cases globally.

“In earlier months in view of high COVID case trajectory, certain states had imposed additional restrictions at their borders and at airports,” said the letter issued on February 16.

While effectively managing public health challenge of COVID-19, said the letter, it is equally important that movement of people and economic activities should not be hampered by additional restrictions imposed at state-level points of entry.

Presently, as the case trajectory across the nation is showing a sustained downward trend, it will be useful if states review and amend the additional restrictions imposed after considering the trend of new cases, active cases and positivity with the state, Bhushan wrote.

He, however, insisted that states must also continue monitoring the trajectory of cases and spread of infection on a daily basis.