The Union Government has advised States and UnionTerritories (UTs) to take intensive actions in well defined Geographies(cities/districts/areas) with more than 10 per cent test positivity or 60 percent bed occupancy.
The Centre said that prompt and targeted action needs tobe focused on specific districts/cities/areas in order to flatten the currentcurve of the epidemic which may be identified by States as per the parameter --where test positivity is of 10 per cent or more in the last one week or bedoccupancy is of more than 60 per cent on either oxygen supported or ICU beds.The Centre's advisory said, districts fulfilling any one of the above twocriteria are to be considered for taking intensive action and local containmentmeasures.
"Local containment primarily focused on restrictingintermingling of people is to be undertaken for a period of 14 days forbreaking the chain of transmission duly following epidemiological principles.Classification of districts requiring intensive action and local containment isalso to be undertaken by the State on a weekly basis," Centre advised.
Centre said that the local containment will essentiallyfocus on three strategic areas of intervention, which include Containment,Clinical Management and Community Engagement. Districts will continue with thestrategy of 'Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and implementation of Covid AppropriateBehaviour across the district as the ongoing strategy for the management ofCOVID-19.
For clinical management, Centre advised that analysis tobe undertaken with respect to requirement of health infrastructure so as tomanage the present and projected cases (next one month) and necessary actioninitiated to ensure sufficient oxygen-supported beds, ICU beds, ventilators,ambulances including creation of makeshift hospitals, as needed.
Sufficient quarantine facilities shall also bere-activated.
The centre pointed out that on account of a very highnumber of daily new Covid cases being reported for the past few days, the UnionGovernment has expressed the urgent need for States to consider strict Covidmanagement and control measures in surge areas to bring the situation undercontrol
The existing infrastructure may not be able to cope withthis kind of surge, it has been stressed.
The Centre said that the areas so identified forintensive action and local containment will primarily focus on the strategicintervention. "Focus will be on containment as a major approach to flattenthe current curve of the epidemic. Movement of individuals shall be strictlyprohibited during night hours, except for essential activities. Localadministration shall decide the duration of the night curfew hours and issueorders," The Centre's advisory said.
The Centre further advised that the spread of theinfection has to be controlled through restricting the intermingling amongstpeople, the only known host for the Covid-19 virus.
"Social, political, sports, entertainment, academic,cultural, religious, festival related and other gathering and congregationsshall be prohibited," it said.