MHA extends Covid-19 surveillance, containment guidelines till March 31

There has been a substantial decline in the active and new Covid-19 cases but there is a need to maintain surveillance, containment and caution, says MHA

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday extended the guidelines for surveillance, containment and caution on Covid-19 till March 31.

The MHA has asked all states to strictly enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on various activities and to exercise caution and strict surveillance.

In a letter to states and union territories, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said the number of active and new cases has "substantially declined over the last few months" but "there is need for maintaining caution and strict surveillance so as to fully overcome the pandemic".

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States and Union Territories have also been advised to speed up the vaccination of the target population so as to break the chain of transmission and overcome the pandemic, an official statement said.

Containment zones continue to be demarcated carefully, prescribed containment measures strictly followed within these zones, Covid-19-appropriate behaviour promoted and strictly enforced and the SOPs prescribed in respect of various permitted activities followed scrupulously, it said.