Enforce use of masks, distancing; pandemic not over: Centre to states

States must maintain their focus on the fivefold strategy of test, track, treat, vaccinate and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour, health secretary Rajesh Bhushan has said to states

As the number of Covid-19 cases keeps falling in India, the government has shifted its focus to preventative measures through promoting appropriate behaviour in public spaces like the wearing of masks, and enhanced surveillance, officials familiar with the development said.

It is important to undertake preventive measures as the states and Union territories are restarting normal economic and social activities, the government has said. (ANI)

“Focus on strict implementation of Covid-appropriate behaviour on the ground is now crucial as restrictions under the disaster management act have been lifted,” a central government official said, requesting anonymity. “People should not get complacent, thinking the numbers are low and they can go easy on preventive measures. The pandemic is not over yet.”

“All states and Union territories are being constantly advised to ensure people strictly adhere to Covid-appropriate behaviour guidelines issued by the ministry of health and family welfare,” the official said.

States must maintain their focus on the fivefold strategy of test, track, treat, vaccinate and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour, health secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote in a letter last week.

“The state enforcement machinery should effectively enforce the norms of Covid appropriate behavior, i.e., wearing of face masks, and maintaining safe physical distancing in all public areas and gatherings,” Bhushan said.

It is important to undertake preventive measures as the states and Union territories are restarting normal economic and social activities.

“Taking into account the sustained and steep decline in the Covid-19 cases across the country, the States and UTs have been undertaking various measures to reopen economic and social activities,” Bhushan said in the letter. “There is a need to follow a risk assessment-based approach on the opening of economic and social activities without losing the gains made so far in the fight against the pandemic.”

India reported 1,358 number new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, according to government data, with weekly positivity rate dropping to 0.31%.

People should continue to adhere to Covid-appropriate behaviour, experts said.

“Following Covid-appropriate behavior is crucial even though new cases have dropped significantly in the past couple of months, especially wearing a face mask,” said Dr G C Khilnani, former head of pulmonary and sleep medicine department at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi. “There are enough studies to show wearing a face mask considerably reduces the risk of disease transmission as Covid is a respiratory disease.”

Besides taking preventive measures, states have also been advised to keep an eye on emerging clusters as part of larger Covid-19 surveillance to pick up signs of any possible surge early.

“The surveillance will continue as before as the pandemic is not yet over, and there is a risk of newer variants emerging in future,” said the official cited earlier. “A close watch is being kept.”