The Union Home Ministry has issued fresh guidelines for surveillance, containment and caution amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As per the order effective December 1 onward, states and union territories have been mandated to strictly enforce containment measures, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on various activities and COVID-appropriate behavior and exercise caution and regulate crowds.
The ministry said only essential activities should be allowed in Containment Zones. Local district, police and municipal authorities shall be responsible to ensure that prescribed Containment measures are strictly followed and State/UT Govts shall ensure accountability of concerned officers, the order read.
Surveillance and Containment
- States/ UTs to ensure careful demacationof Containment Zones by the district authorities, at the micro level, taking into consideration the guidelines prescribed by MoHFW in this regard. The list of Containment Zones will be notified on the websites by the respective District Collectors and by the States/ UTs. This list will also be shared with MoHFW.
- Within the demarcated Containment Zones, containment measures, as prescribed by MoHFW, shall be scrupulously followed, which includes:
- Only essential activities shall be allowed in the Containment Zones.
- There shall be strict perimeter control to ensure that 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 by surveillance teams formed for the purpose.
- 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 days (80 percent of contacts to be traced in 72 hours).
- Quick isolation of COVID-19 patients shall be ensured in treatment facilities/ home (subject to fulfilling the home isolation guidelines).
- Clinical interventions, as prescribed, shall be administered.
- Surveillance for ILI/ SARI cases shall be carried out in health facilities or outreach mobile units or through fever clinics in buffer zones.
- Awareness shall be created in communities on COVID-19 appropriate behaviour.
- Local district, police and municipal authorities shall be responsible to ensure that the prescribed Containment measures are strictly followed and State/ UT Governments shall ensure the accountability of the officers concerned in this regard.
COVID-Appropriate behavior
- State/ UT Governments shall take all necssary measures to promote COVID-19 appropriate behavior and to ensure strict enforcement of wearing of face masks, hand hygiene and social distancing.
- In order to enforce the core requirement of wearing of face masks, States and UTs may consider administrative actions, including imposition of appropriate fines, on persons not wearing face masks in public and work spaces.
- For observance of social distancing in crowded places, especially in markets, weekly bazaars and public transport,Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) will issue a SOP, which shall be strictly enforced by States and UTs.
National Directives for COVID-19 Management shall continue to be followed throughout the country, so as to enforce COVID-19 appropriate behavior.
