MHA ISSUES NEW COVID GUIDELINES FOR STATES
NEW DELHI: Amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in some parts of the country, the Centre on Tuesday asked all states and Union territories to enhance proportion of RT-PCR tests, strictly enforce test-track-treat protocol and speed up the pace of vaccination to cover all priority groups. Issuing fresh guidelines for April, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) said the new positive cases need to be isolated or quarantined at the earliest and provided timely treatment.
NEW DELHI: There will be no restriction on the inter-state and intra-state movement of people and goods across India along with cross land-border trade under Treaties with neighbouring countries, the Union home ministry (MHA) announced on Tuesday as a part of its fresh guidelines to ‘effectively control’ the coronavirus (Covid-19) disease pandemic amid a recent surge in cases.
The guidelines which will remain effective till April 30 added that no separate permission or approval or e-permit will be needed for all such kinds of movements. This latest directive of the MHA comes at a time when several states have imposed border restrictions to curb the spread of the disease.
As the number of fresh infections in the country is skyrocketing and local restrictions are coming back, the Centre in its new directive made it clear that such restrictions are okay to be imposed at district/ sub-district and city/ ward level, ruling out statewide lockdown at this situation. It also said there will be no bar on the inter-state and intrastate movement of persons and goods. “There shall be no restriction on inter-State and intraState 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 new rules are to address the sudden rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country, the order said. Most of the new orders have been derived from the recent discussion held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the heads of the states and the Union territories. Apart from increasing the proportion of RT-PCR tests to the prescribed 70 per cent, states will have to bring back their focus on tracking cases, isolating and treating them while demarcating containment zones like they did last year.
“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 new order said.
With several districts, cities going under fresh lockdown in the wake of what is being considered as the second wave of Covid-19, the Centre said states and UTs, based on their assessment of the situation, may impose local restrictions, at district/ subdistrict and city/ ward level, with a view to containing the spread of Covid-19.