Covid-19: Ahead of festive season, health ministry reiterates its SOPs

Here's how the Union health ministry suggests festivals should be celebrated to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The Union ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW) on Thursday reiterated the need to exercise caution during the upcoming festive season to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), with health secretary Rajesh Bhushan laying out SOPs in this regard, which, he said, were shared by the ministry with states and Union territories on September 21.

“On 21 September, the health ministry of the Government of India issued directives to all states and UTs for the festive season, and also conveyed to governments what is expected from them during the months of October and November,” Bhushan said in a briefing on the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the country.

Here are some key points from the SOPs issued by the Union government:

(1.) Districts where positivity rate is at more than 5 per cent, mass gatherings are to be avoided, especially within containment zones.

(2.) In districts with positivity rate of 5 per cent or below that, advance permission should be taken for events at which large gatherings are expected. In such a case, information should be given in advance about how many people will be allowed to gather, keeping in mind local conditions.

(3.) States and UTs should announce restrictions or relaxations in accordance with the weekly positivity rate. “If the weekly positivity rate is falling, then announce relaxations based on that. If it is on the rise, then impose curbs on the basis of that,” Bhushan said.

Covid-19 in India:

Though the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the country has waned, experts have warned against letting the guard down during the festive season. Doing so, they say, might lead to the arrival of a third wave.

In the last 24 hours, India logged 31,923 fresh Covid-19 infections, 31,990 recoveries and 282 related deaths, as per the health ministry's dashboard.