The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Friday issued an order to extend the existing COVID-19 guidelines for surveillance, containment, and caution to remain in force up to March 31.
According to a press release, the ministry has asked the states to speed up the COVID-19 vaccination drive. "While there has been a substantial decline in the active and new COVID-19 cases, there is a need to maintain surveillance, containment, and caution so as to fully overcome the pandemic. States/Union Territories have also been advised to speed up the vaccination of the target population so as to break the chain of transmission and overcome the pandemic," the MHA said.
The ministry has advised taking strict containment measures followed within the containment zones. Accordingly, containment zones continue to be demarcated carefully; prescribed containment measures strictly followed within these zones; COVID appropriate behaviour promoted and strictly enforced, and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed in respect of various permitted activities followed scrupulously, it added.
The Home Ministry has said that the focused approach on surveillance, containment, and strict observance of the guidelines/SOPs, as envisaged in the guidelines issued on January 27, 2021, needs to be enforced strictly by States and Union Territories.
Existing COVID-19 guidelines
1. As per the existing guidelines, cinema halls and theatres are allowed to operate with more people while swimming pools have also been permitted for use by all.
2. There is no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods including those for cross land-border trade under treaties with neighbouring countries.
3. No separate permission or approval or e-permit will be required for such movements.
4. All activities have been permitted outside containment zones, except a few which will be subject to strict adherence to SOPs.
5. Social, religious, sports, entertainment, educational, cultural, religious gatherings have already been permitted up to a maximum of 50 percent of the hall capacity, with a ceiling of 200 people in closed spaces; and keeping of the size of the ground or space in view, in open spaces.
6. Cinema halls and theatres have already been permitted up to 50 percent of seating capacity. Now they will be permitted to operate at higher seating capacity, for which a revised SOP will be issued by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in consultation with MHA," the ministry said.
As many as 16,488 new COVID-19 cases and 113 deaths were reported in India during the last 24 hours, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Saturday.
With this, the total coronavirus caseload in the country has gone up to 1,10,79,979, with 1,56,938 deaths.
