Centre directs states to review, change or drop COVID curbs as cases fall
The Centre has urged states and union territories to review, change or drop COVID-19 curbs after accounting for new cases and positivity rate in their regions in the backdrop of falling coronavirus cases across the country.
The coronavirus pandemic in India has been showing a sustained declining trend since January 21, said Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan in a letter sent to chief secretaries and chief administrators of all states and union territories on Wednesday (February 16).
Last week, the average daily cases were 50,476, and in the last 24 hours, 27,409 new cases have been reported. The daily case positivity rate too dropped to 3.63 per cent on Wednesday. But as cases rose in the third wave, many states had clamped down and introduced more restrictions at their borders and airports, he said.
Even as states effectively manage the public health challenge of COVID-19, it is equally important that movement of people and economic activities should not be hampered by additional restrictions imposed at state-level points of entry, Bhushan said in the letter.
Also read: Genome scientist declares an end to third wave in Indian metros
Further, he added that as the case trajectory across the nation is declining, it will be useful for states/UTs to review and amend/drop the additional restrictions after considering the trend of new cases, active cases and positivity within the state and UT.
The Centre had been reviewing and updating its existing guidelines to minimise the virus from circulating. The Union ministry of health had in fact revised its guidelines for international arrivals on February 10, he said.
According to the health secretary, states and union territories should however continue to oversee the trajectory of COVID-19 cases and the daily spread of the infection. He suggested they could follow the five-fold strategy of Test Track-Treat-Vaccination and also follow COVID-appropriate behavior.
He was confident the states and UT will continue to tackle the COVID-19 challenge even as they reduce its impact on lives and livelihood of the people.
