Centre issues strict COVID rules for festive season. Read them here

The Ministry of Health on Thursday announced COVID-19 measures for the October-November festive season.

Union Secretary (Health) Rajesh Bhushan said the second wave of COVID-19 has yet to retreat, and warned against relaxing of measures amid some states still seeing a spike in infections.

Bhushan said a detailed standard of procedures for states and Union territories had been issued with the health ministry’s letter dated September 21, 2021.

Mass gatherings are to be avoided in areas identified as Containment Zones and in districts reporting more than 5 per cent case positivity, Bhushan said.

Gatherings with advance permissions and limited people, according to the local context, will be allowed in districts with a positivity rate of 5 per cent and below, he said.

The health secretary said relaxations and restrictions are to be imposed based on weekly case positivity rate.

India saw a devastating spike in COVID-19 deaths and cases during the second wave peak in April-May 2021. Healthcare facilities were stretched as people struggled for hospital beds and medical oxygen, and most states/UTs initiated strict COVID-19 lockdowns.

Cases and deaths have since come down. However, Kerala, Maharashtra, and some other states are seeing a spike. Bhushan said 62.73 per cent of the total cases in the last week were reported from Kerala, adding that 33 districts across the country had over 10 per cent positivity rate.