New Covid strain scare: Central govt asks states to impose restrictions for new year

Ahead of new year the Central government has suggested a slew of restrictions to keep the celebrations low key in the backdrop of the Covid outbreak and the new super infectious strain that has reached India with people returning from the United Kingdom.

The states have been asked to impose restrictions on December 30, 31 and January 1 after assessing the local situation, though the final decision has been left to them.

"The number of Covid 19 active cases is declining steadily in the country for the last three-and-half months. Keeping in view the fresh surge of Covid-19 cases in Europe and Americas, there is still a need for maintaining comprehensive precaution and strict surveillance within our country," a top official has written to the states.

"You would appreciate that in the wake of New Year and various celebratory events associated with it as well as on-going winter season, strict vigil is required to be maintained to curb all potential "super spreader" events and places where crowds may gather," the letter read.

The letter, however, said that there shall be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods.

There has been several cases of the new strain including people who had recently returned from the UK to India. A total of 20 persons in India have been found with the mutant variant of SARS- CoV-2 virus reported from the United Kingdom, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).