COVID-19 protocol to followed by States & Union territories!

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued fresh COVID-19 guidelines on Tuesday, asking the States to strictly enforce the "test, track and treat" protocol.

The "guidelines for effective control of COVID-19" issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, will be effective from April 1 to 30.

MHA asserted that local authorities could impose restrictions at district, sub-district and city or ward level, to contain the pandemic.

"There shall be no restriction on inter-State and intra-State movement of persons and goods including those for cross land-border trade under Treaties with neighboring countries. No separate permission, approval or e-permit will be required for such movements," it said.

MHA said the proportion of RT-PCR tests among the total number of tests to detect COVID-19 should be up to 70%.

The Ministry said the main focus of the guidelines is to consolidate the substantial gains achieved in containing the spread of COVID-19, which was visible in the sustained decline in the number of active cases, continuously for about five months.