Test-Track-Treat: MHA rolls out new guidelines to curb Covid-19

Amid a fresh surge in Covid-19 cases in some parts of the country, the government on Tuesday asked states to strictly enforce the Test-Track-Treat protocol in all parts of the country, scale up the vaccination drive and ensure observance of Covid appropriate behaviour by everyone.

Issuing fresh guidelines for effective control of Covid-19 effective for the month of April, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the fresh surge in cases and slow pace of vaccination in some parts of the country were a "cause of concern" though there was a decline in the number of active cases continuously for the past five months.

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Emphasising that the "substantial gains" achieved against the spread of Covid-19 need to be consolidated, the MHA said the chain of transmission of the pandemic needs to be effectively broken with a view to expeditiously restore complete normalcy.

Though no fresh restrictions have been placed, the guidelines said the states should take all necessary measures to promote Covid-19 appropriate behaviour in workplaces and in the public, especially in crowded places.

All activities are permitted outside the containment zones but the new guidelines made it clear that people will have to follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed by the government for various activities.

While India has launched the world’s largest vaccination drive, the MHA was concerned at the slow pace of the exercise in some states.

"Vaccination against Covid-19, in the present scenario, is critical to break the chain of transmission. Therefore, all State/UT governments should rapidly step up the pace of vaccination, to cover all priority groups in an expeditious manner," the guidelines said.

Another concerning area was testing and the fresh guidelines said the states and UTs where the proportion of RT-PCR tests is less should rapidly increase it to reach the prescribed level of 70 per cent or more. The new Covid-19 positive cases identified through intensive testing need to be isolated and quarantined at the earliest and provided timely treatment. Their contacts also need to be traced at the earliest and quarantined.

It noted that the effective demarcation of containment zones in vulnerable and high-incidence areas is the key to breaking the chain of transmission and controlling the spread of the virus. Containment zones should be carefully demarcated by the district authorities, at the micro-level. Within the demarcated containment zones, containment measures should be scrupulously followed, which include strict perimeter control, intensive house-to-house surveillance, contact tracing, surveillance for ILI/ SARI cases etc.

In a letter to Chief Secretaries and Administrators of states and union territories respectively, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said that states were not strictly following the containment measures and asked them to follow it in letter and spirit.

For strict enforcement of wearing of face masks, hand hygiene and social distancing, states should consider administrative actions, including the imposition of appropriate fines.

Based on their assessment of the situation, states may impose local restrictions at district or sub-district and city or ward level, with a view to contain Covid-19 spread. However, there will be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement.