New Covid guidelines effective 1 December

As coronavirus or Covid-19 cases rise across India, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an order with a new set of guidelines to contain the spread. These will come into effect from 1 December and will remain in place until the end of December.

The MHA has made it essential for all states to strictly enforce these measures to contain the spread of the virus.

“The main focus of the guidelines is to consolidate the substantial gains that have been achieved against the spread of COVID-19 which is visible in the steady decline in number of active cases in the country,” the ministry said in a statement.

Local district, police and municipal authorities will be held responsible to ensure that the prescribed Containment measures are strictly followed.

Here are the new guidelines issued by the Centre.

Surveillance and Containment

• Careful demarcation of containment zones by district authorities.
• Only essential activities shall be allowed in the Containment Zones.
• Strict perimeter control to ensure there is no movement of people in or out of these zones, except for medical emergencies and for maintaining supply of essential goods and services.
• There shall be intensive house-to-house surveillance.
• Testing shall be carried out as per prescribed protocol.
• Listing of contacts shall be carried out in respect of all persons found positive, along with their tracking, identification, quarantine and follow up of contacts for 14 day.
• Quick isolation of COVID-19 patients shall be ensured in treatment facilities/ home.
• Awareness shall be created in communities.

All necessary measures to promote COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and to ensure strict enforcement of wearing of face masks, hand hygiene and social distancing will be done. Fines etc may be imposed on people who are not found following the norms of wearing masks in public places.

All activities have been permitted outside Containment Zones, except for the following.

• International air travel of passengers, as permitted by MHA.
• Cinema halls and theatres, with up to 50% seating capacity.
• Swimming pools, only for training of sports persons.
• Exhibition halls, only for business to business (B2B) purposes.
• Social/ religious/ sports/ entertainment/ educational/ cultural/ religious gatherings, with up to a maximum of 50% of the hall capacity, with a limit of 200 people in closed spaces.

Vulnerable persons, i.e., persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women, and children below the age of 10 years, are advised to stay at home, except for meeting essential requirements and for health purposes.

The use of Aarogya Setu mobile application will continue to be encouraged.

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