MHA extends COVID-19 guidelines for surveillance, containment, caution till March 31

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday issued an order to extend the existing COVID-19 guidelines for surveillance, containment, and caution to remain in force up to March 31.

According to a press release, the ministry has asked the states to speed up the COVID-19 vaccination drive.

"While there has been a substantial decline in the active and new COVID-19 cases, there is a need to maintain surveillance, containment, and caution so as to fully overcome the pandemic. States/Union Territories have also been advised to speed up the vaccination of the target population so as to break the chain of transmission and overcome the pandemic," the MHA said.

The ministry has advised taking strict containment measures followed within the containment zones.

Accordingly, containment zones continue to be demarcated carefully; prescribed containment measures strictly followed within these zones; COVID appropriate behaviour promoted and strictly enforced, and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed in respect of various permitted activities followed scrupulously, it added.

The Home Ministry has said that the focused approach on surveillance, containment, and strict observance of the guidelines/SOPs, as envisaged in the guidelines issued on January 27, 2021, needs to be enforced strictly by States and Union Territories.

As many as 16,577 new COVID-19 cases and 120 deaths were reported in India during the last 24 hours, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Friday.

With this, the total coronavirus caseload in the country has gone up to 1,10,63,491, including 1,55,986 active cases with 1,07,50,680 discharges and 1,56,825 people have lost their lives so far.

( With inputs from ANI )