Ensure no large gatherings during festival season: MHA to states
The Centre on Saturday asked all states and Union Territories to ensure there is no large gathering during the upcoming festival season and, if necessary, impose local restrictions to check the spread of coronavirus. Extending the ongoing COVID-19 guidelines till September 30, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said the overall pandemic situation now appears to be largely stable at the national level.
Active cases and high positivity worrisome in some districts: Bhalla
"However, the localized spread of the infection has been observed in a few states," the home secretary further said. The total number of active cases of COVID-19 and high case positivity in some districts continue to remain a matter of concern, he told the chief secretaries of all states and UTs in his identical letters.
'Important to identify warning signs of potential surges early on'
"The state governments and UT administrations concerned, having high positivity in their districts, should take pro-active containment measures so as to effectively arrest the spike in cases and to contain the spread of transmission," he said. "It is important to identify warning signs of potential surges early on and to take appropriate measures to curb the spread," Bhalla said.
Impose local restrictions to prevent gatherings during festivals: Bhalla
"This would require a localized approach, as has been mentioned in Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) advisories dated April 25 and June 28," he added. The home secretary further advised them to take suitable measures to avoid large gatherings during the coming festive season and, if required, impose local restrictions to prevent such gatherings.
Need to focus on the test-track-treat-vaccination strategy: Bhalla
"COVID-19 appropriate behavior should be strictly enforced at all crowded places," he said. "There is a need to continue focus on the five-fold strategy - test-track-treat-vaccination and adherence to COVID-19 appropriate behavior - for effective management of COVID-19," the secretary added.
