Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Feb 16: Union Health Secretaries Rajesh Bhushan has written a letter to all states/UTs and asked them to review and amend or end the additional Covid-19 restrictions as the pandemic in the country shows a sustained declining trend.
Certain states of the country had put additional restrictions at their borders and airports in recent months due to the high Covid case trajectory.
In view of this, the health secreatary said that while properly managing the public health challenge of Covid-19, it’s also important that people and activities aren’t restricted by further limitations placed at state-level entry points.
The letter said that given that the case trajectory across the country is on the decline, it would be beneficial if states/UTs reviewed and amended/removed the additional limits imposed, taking into account the trend of new cases, active cases, and positive within the State/UT.
He has urged that the states/UTs must continue to track the progression of cases and the transmission of infection on a daily basis. They can also use the “Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and adherence to Covid suitable behaviour” five-point technique.
According to his letter, the Covid-19 pandemic in India is showing a sustained declining trend since 21st January 2022. The average daily cases during last week were 50,476 and 27,409 new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours. The daily case positivity on 15th February 2022 has declined to 3.63%.
Bhushan in his letter has also mentioned that the existing guidelines targeted at reducing virus transmission and circulation have been reviewed and amended in light of the changing epidemiology of the Covid -19 pandemic globally and in India. On February 10, 2022, the Union Ministry of Health changed its standards for international arrivals.