Centre extends COVID-19 guidelines for surveillance, containment till March 31

"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," said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The MHA said that the COVID-appropriate behaviour has to be promoted and strictly enforced

Representational Image

New Delhi: The Centre has announced to extend the existing COVID-19 guidelines for the surveillance, containment and caution up to March 31, 2021.

"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," said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Accordingly, the coronavirus containment zones will continue to be demarcated carefully and prescribed containment measures to be strictly followed within these zones.

The MHA's order said that the COVID-appropriate behaviour has to be promoted and strictly enforced and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed in respect of various permitted activities followed scrupulously.

The focussed approach on surveillance, containment and strict observance of the guidelines/SOPs, as envisaged in MHA's guidelines issued on January 27, 2021, need to be enforced strictly by states and UTs.

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.

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. No separate permission or approval or e-permit will be required for such movements.

Social, religious, sports, entertainment, educational, cultural, religious gatherings have already been permitted up to a maximum of 50 per cent of the hall capacity, with a ceiling of 200 people in closed spaces; and keeping of the size of the ground or space in the view, in open spaces.

The swimming pools have also been already permitted for use of all.

Meanwhile, more than 1.37 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered across India since the world's largest coronavirus vaccination drive started on January 16.