Ensure no large gathering during upcoming festival season: MHA to states

In fresh Covid guidelines, MHA asks states to continue focus on 5-fold strategy - test-track-treat-vaccination, Covid-appropriate behaviour

The Centre 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 for one more month till September 30, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said the overall pandemic situation now appears to be largely stable at the national level, except for the localised spread observed in a few states.

The total number of active cases 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.

"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.

"It is important to identify warning signs of potential surges early on and to take appropriate measures to curb the spread. This would require a localised approach, as has been mentioned in Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) advisories dated April 25 and June 28," he said.

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.

Covid-appropriate behaviour 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-appropriate behaviour -- for effective management of COVID-19, the secretary added.