The Union Health Ministry on Thursday detailed a number of measures to be followed by states for the upcoming festive season in the country from October to November. In a press briefing, Union Secretary (Health) Rajesh Bhushan said the second wave of Covid-19 had not concluded in India yet, and warned against relaxing of measures amid some states still seeing a spike in infections.
Centre Sounds Covid Warning for Festive Season:
• Rajesh Bhushan said a detailed Standard of Proceedures (SOP) for States and UTs had been issued with the Health Ministry’s letter dated September 21, 2021.
• Mass gatherings are to be be avoided in areas identified as Containment Zones and in districts reporting more than 5% case positivity, Bhushan said.
LIVE | Centre Sounds Alert Before Festive Season, Says ‘2nd Wave Not Over, Kerala Saw Most Number of Cases’
• Gatherings with advance permissions and limited people, according to the local context, will be allowed in districts with a positivity rate of 5% and below, he said.
• The Union Health Secretary said relaxations and restrictions are to be be imposed based on weekly case positivity rate.
The country had witnessed a devastating spike in Covid-19 deaths and cases during the second wave peak in April and May this year. Healthcare facilities were stretched as people struggled for hospitals and medical oxygen, and most states/UTs initiated strict Covid-19 lockdowns which are since seeing relaxations.
Cases and deaths have since come down. However, Kerala, Maharashtra, and some other states are seeing a spike of cases. Bhushan said 62.73% of the total cases in last week were reported from Kerala, adding that 33 districts across the country had over 10% positivity rate.
However, experts predict a third wave of Covid-19 to hit the country soon, said to affect children more. States have been augmenting their paediatric healthcare facilities against the warning.
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