New Delhi: After several states and UTs have started easing lockdown restrictions, the Centre has told them that it is critical that such measures are carefully calibrated with continued focus on containment efforts.
“Effective planning for vaccination focusing on prompt coverage of priority groups and hubs of economic activity should be prioritised,” Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla stated in a letter to states and Union Territories.
The letter has asked states and Union Territories to keep focusing on the five-fold strategy for effective management of the pandemic and said the process of relaxing restrictions should be carefully calibrated.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, in a letter to to states and union territories on Monday, said in order to bring uniformity, the need for following the existing framework for either imposition of restrictions or allowing relaxations based on the burden of disease and strain on healthcare infrastructure still remain important.
Bhushan had also shared a list of targeted actions that need to be implemented by the states which include monitoring of cases with districts as administrative units on a regular basis and taking necessary action for containment and health infrastructure upgradation.
To facilitate objective, transparent and epidemiologically sound decision-making, a broad-based framework based on test positivity rate and bed occupancy rate was provided to the states vide the Health Ministry’s letter on 25 April, 2021, Bhushan said, adding this framework was also emphasized by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order dated 29 April for enforcement by all states.
Again, the health ministry through its letter on 28 June has underlined the implementation of graded restriction/relaxation measures and continued focus on five-fold strategy of Test, Track, Treat, Covid Appropriate Behaviour and Vaccination.
