MHA issues fresh Covid guidelines till 31 July; asks states to follow 5-fold strategy

June 30: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday has directed the states and Union Territories to consider the implementation of targeted and prompt actions for COVID-19 management in accordance with the Health Ministry’s latest advisory till July 31. The order has been issued under the Disaster Management Act and has to be strictly followed throughout the country amid the ongoing COVID pandemic.

The guidelines state that case positivity needs to be closely monitored along with bed occupancy on a regular basis, taking districts as administrative units. States/UTs are to take necessary measures under relevant provisions of the Disaster Management Act 2005. “There should be a continuous focus on the five-fold strategy for an effective management of COVID-19 i.e. test-track-treat-vaccination and adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour,” said Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla.

5-Fold Strategies:

The government has further urged the States and UTs to continue focusing on the 5 fold strategy Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and adherence;

1. Wear face Mask
2. Do Gaz Doori (Social Distancing)
3. Spitting in public places will be punishable with fine
4. Work from home
5. Screening and hygiene
6. Frequent sanitization

#IndiaFightsCorona @HMOIndia has issued an advisory to all States/UTs to ensure compliance to the containment measures for #COVID19 as conveyed vide @MoHFW_INDIA

With the decline in the number of active cases, many States/UTs have started relaxing restrictions.

1/3 pic.twitter.com/GfdYaWArxr

— #IndiaFightsCorona (@COVIDNewsByMIB) June 29, 2021

“Any person violating these measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under Section 188 of IPC, and other legal provisions as applicable,” read the letter undersigned by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla. Meanwhile, workplaces have been asked to promote work from home as much as possible, stagger working hours to avoid crowding, continuously screen, and sanitise.

Districts with high weekly positivity rate and bed occupancy rate will have to be monitored closely and states may consider appointing a senior officer from state headquarters as a nodal officer. This district nodal officer would work in coordination with local authorities to identify case clusters and ensure implementation of anti-Covid-19 measures. The ministry stated that states can use the existing classifications to prioritise districts based on their risk profiles. States and union territories may identify districts that need the most restrictions, while the remaining districts will be allowed to have higher degrees of relaxations based on lower weekly case positivity or a relatively low bed occupancy rate.

It was further stated that the lifting of restrictions/ providing relaxations be carefully calibrated with continued focus on containment efforts to curb the spread of the infection.”

Click to read the full guidelines of MHA