Imphal: With the sharp rising of Covid-19 cases with high positivity rate, Centre has instructed states and Union territories (UTs) to implement intensive, local and focused containment framework, focused on specific areas to bring the situation under control.
In an advisory letter written to states and UTs, Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla on Monday said authorities at district levels should be guided to for implementations of containment and should be widely disseminated to the public and to the field functionaries for their effective implementation.
He advised for implementation of framework for community containment and large containment areas as issued by the ministry of health and family welfare.
Accordingly, intensive action and local containment should primarily focus on strategic areas of intervention. Focus will be on containment as a major approach to flatten the current curve of the epidemic, the letter mentioned.
For night curfew, movement of individuals have to be strictly prohibited during night hours, except for essential activities.
The spread of the infection has to be controlled through restricting the intermingling amongst people, the only known host for the Covif-19 virus.
Social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious, festival- related and other gatherings and congregations should be prohibited.
Marriages (attended by up to 50 persons) and funerals/ last rites (attended by up to 20 persons) may be allowed.
All shopping complexes, cinema halls, restaurants and bars, sports complexes, gym, spas, swimming pool and religious places should remain closed.
Essential services and activities such as healthcare services, police, fire, banks, electricity, water and sanitation, regulated movement of public transport including all incidental services and activities needed for a smooth
functioning of these activities shall continue. Such services shall continue in both public and private sector.
Public transport (railways, metros, buses, cabs) to operate at a maximum capacity of 50 percent.
There shall be no restrictions on inter-state and intra-state movement including transportation of essential goods.
All offices, both government and private, to function with a maximum staff strength of 50 percent.
All industrial and scientific establishments, both government and private, may be allowed subject to the workforce following physical distancing norms. They should also be tested through RAT (in case of individuals identified with flu like symptoms) from time to time.
The SOPs already issued by the ministry, including training manuals for surveillance teams and supervisors, which are available on the website must be followed.
However, these are indicative activities, and states and UTs should make a careful analysis of the local situation, areas to be covered, and probability of transmission and then take a decision.
The restrictions should continue for a period of 14 days.
Before declaring a containment area, the government should make a public announcement, outlining the rationale for the same and the kind of restrictions that will be in place.
Community volunteers, civil society organisations, ex- servicemen, and members of the local NYK, NSS centers etc., should be involved for sustainable management of containment activities, making aware of the situation and for encouraging people in the community for sustained behaviour change as well as vaccination.
It has also been instructed that districts should continue with the strategy of ‘Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate’. Hundred percent vaccination for the eligible age-groups should be undertaken.
Analysis should be undertaken with respect to requirement of health infrastructure so as to manage the present and projected cases (next one month) and necessary action initiated to ensure sufficient oxygen-supported beds, ICU beds, ventilators, ambulances including creation of makeshift hospitals, as needed.
Details on availability of oxygen, drugs, vaccine and vaccination centres; including the guidelines related with use of Remdesivir/Tocilizumab etc., be also widely publicised so as to create confidence in the community.
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