Centre issues advisory to states on how to tackle COVID-19 surge

A man from a NGO wearing an outfit resembling the coronavirus moves around a marketplace urging people to follow the safety protocols, during an awareness drive held in Siliguri. Pic/AFP

The Union Government has advised States and Union Territories (UTs) to take intensive actions in well defined Geographies (cities/districts/areas) with more than 10 per cent test positivity or 60 per cent bed occupancy.

The Centre said that prompt and targeted action needs to be focused on specific districts/cities/areas in order to flatten the current curve of the epidemic which may be identified by States as per the parameter -- where test positivity is of 10 per cent or more in the last one week or bed occupancy is of more than 60 per cent on either oxygen supported or ICU beds. The Centre's advisory said, districts fulfilling any one of the above two criteria are to be considered for taking intensive action and local containment measures.

"Local containment primarily focused on restricting intermingling of people is to be undertaken for a period of 14 days for breaking the chain of transmission duly following epidemiological principles. Classification of districts requiring intensive action and local containment is also to be undertaken by the State on a weekly basis," Centre advised.

Centre said that the local containment will essentially focus on three strategic areas of intervention, which include Containment, Clinical Management and Community Engagement. Districts will continue with the strategy of 'Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and implementation of Covid Appropriate Behaviour across the district as the ongoing strategy for the management of COVID-19.

For clinical management, Centre advised that analysis to be undertaken with respect to requirement of health infrastructure so as to manage the present and projected cases (next one month) and necessary action initiated to ensure sufficient oxygen-supported beds, ICU beds, ventilators, ambulances including creation of makeshift hospitals, as needed. Sufficient quarantine facilities shall also be re-activated.

The centre pointed out that on account of a very high number of daily new Covid cases being reported for the past few days, the Union Government has expressed the urgent need for States to consider strict Covid management and control measures in surge areas to bring the situation under control. The existing infrastructure may not be able to cope with this kind of surge, it has been stressed.

The Centre said that the areas so identified for intensive action and local containment will primarily focus on the strategic intervention. "Focus will be on containment as a major approach to flatten the current curve of the epidemic. Movement of individuals shall be strictly prohibited during night hours, except for essential activities. Local administration shall decide the duration of the night curfew hours and issue orders," The Centre's advisory said.

The Centre further advised that the spread of the infection has to be controlled through restricting the intermingling amongst people, the only known host for the Covid-19 virus. "Social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious, festival related and other gathering and congregations shall be prohibited," it said.

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