Renewed guidelines of COVID-19, into effect from today

New Delhi: As the number of cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue to rise across the country, the Centre has issued fresh guidelines which will come into force from today.

These guidelines will remain in force till December 31.

Though the spread of the infection has slowed down, the Union home ministry is still concerned about states where COVID-19 is still posing a challenge.

The ministry has issued a set of protocols for states and union territories to keep a check of the spread of the disease.

The Union Health Ministry has also released a list of recommended measures to ensure that people understand the gravity of the disease and take appropriate actions to keep themselves safe.

Here is a list of COVID-19 guidelines released by the home ministry which has come in effect from today:

• The Centre has allowed states and union to impose local restrictions, such as night curfew, based on their assessment of the situation. However, local lockdown outside containment zones without consultation with the centre is not allowed.

• The Home ministry also said that state governments can consider implementing staggered office timings and other suitable measures in the cities where the weekly positive case is more than 10%

• In order to keep the containment measures in check, the local district, police and municipal authorities are responsible.

• The Centre has also given the freedom to the state governments to take administrative action against people not following the basic COVID-19 safety measures. These actions include the imposition of appropriate fines on persons not wearing face masks etc.

• The home ministry guidelines said that there shall be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods, including those for cross land-border trade. No separate permission/approval/e-permit will be required for such movements.

• The latest set of rules prioritises "surveillance, containment and caution". Hence, the home ministry order mentioned that in containment zones, surveillance teams will conduct intensive house-to-house surveillance.

• COVID-19 rules and containment measures prescribed by the health ministry strictly need to be followed in demarcated containment zones. There shall be strict perimeter control to ensure that there is no movement of people in or out of these zones.

The fresh guidelines come at a time when India's COVID-19 tally surpassed 9.4 million counts. Apart from the home ministry, the health ministry to has released a set of guidelines for the crowd's behaviour in places like markets etc.

• The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for markets issued by the health ministry on Monday stated that online booking of groceries and doorstep delivery of those must be encouraged while incentives or discounts for those who shop during non-peak hours may be considered.

• The SOPs further emphasised the market places in containment zones shall remain closed. Shop owners and employees living containment zones shall not be allowed to enter marketplaces as well.

• COVID-19 appropriate behaviour in marketplaces may be regulated by market associations through a number of measures, including the creation of a sub-committee for each market to monitor the behaviour of crowds.

• It also suggested setting up mask dispensing kiosks at government-approved rates at entry points of markets and parking lots, establishing hand washing stations in public utility areas while recommending the use of foot-operated taps and contactless soap dispensers.

• Mass thermal screening at the entry and access points to the market, thermal guns and sanitisers regarding COVID-19 appropriate behaviour at prominent locations are the other measures mentioned by the health ministry in its guidelines.

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