India / Govt extends guidelines on COVID-19 surveillance till March 31

New Delhi: In view of rising Covid-19 cases, the Central Government on Friday extended the coronavirus containment guidelines it had issued earlier to 31 March, 2021.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an Order today to extend the existing Guidelines for Surveillance, Containment and Caution to remain in force upto 31.03.2021," an official release said.

The decision comes as around 16,577 people tested positive for the killer virus across the country in a span of 24 hours.

While there has been a substantial decline in the active and new coronavirus infections, there is a need to maintain surveillance, containment, and caution so as to fully overcome the pandemic, it added.

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, the MHA said.

What the rules say

The containment zones continue to be demarcated carefully. The prescribed containment measures need to be strictly followed within these zones.

Covid-appropriate behaviour promoted and strictly enforced.

The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed in respect of various permitted activities followed scrupulously.

Therefore, the focussed approach on surveillance, containment and strict observance of the guidelines/ SOPs, as envisaged in the guidelines issued on 27 January need to be enforced strictly by States and Union Territories.

India Covid update

The total number of coronavirus cases in the country has reached 1,10,63,491. India also saw 120 deaths due to the infection in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative toll to 1,56,825.

Further, a total of 12,179 people recovered from coronavirus in the last 24 hours. The total recoveries have reached 1,07,50,680.

Now, there are 1,55,986 active Covid-cases across the country, as of Friday morning. The number was 1,51,708 on Thursday, 1,46,907 on Wednesday while it was 1,47,306 on Tuesday.

The country has so far vaccinated 1,34,72,643 healthcare and frontline workers.

The vaccination drive in India began on 16 January with inoculation of healthcare workers.