Ensure lockdown opening up is 'carefully calibrated': Centre

New Delhi: The easing of Covid-related lockdown norms has led to crowding in some markets and other places, the Centre said on Saturday, as it urged states to ensure the "extremely important" five-fold strategy of Covid-appropriate behaviour, test-track-treat and vaccination to prevent the spread of the disease.

In a communication to all states and Union Territories (UTs), Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla also said vaccination against COVID-19, in the present scenario, is critical to break the chain of transmission.

Therefore, all state and UT governments should step up the pace of vaccination, to cover the maximum number of people in an expeditious manner, he said.

The Home Secretary added that during the second Covid wave, a significant surge in cases was witnessed in several states and UTs, and many of them imposed restrictions in order to contain the spread of the infection.

"With a decline in the number of active cases, many states and UTs have started relaxing restrictions. I would like to highlight that the decision to impose or ease restrictions has to be taken, based on the assessment of the situation at the ground level," he said.

Bhalla said while the opening up of activities, after the decline in cases is essential, states and UTs must ensure that the whole process is "carefully calibrated".

"While opening up, it would be extremely important to follow the five-fold strategy of Covid appropriate behaviour, test-track-treat and vaccination," he said.

The Home Secretary said regular monitoring of COVID-19 appropriate behaviour is required to prevent relapse.

To reiterate, Covid appropriate behaviour includes mandatory use of masks, hand hygiene, social distancing and also proper ventilation of closed spaces, he said.

"However, easing of restrictions in some states, have led to resumption of crowding of people in markets etc., without adherence to the norms of Covid appropriate behaviour," he said.

It is, therefore, essential to ensure that complacency does not set in, and there is no let-up in adhering to Covid appropriate behaviour, while opening up activities, the Home Secretary said.

He said a system should be in place at the micro-level to ensure that whenever cases rise in a smaller place, it gets checked there itself, through local containment measures as per the existing guidelines issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

"I, therefore, urge you to issue directions to district and all other authorities concerned, to keep a close watch on the situation, while activities are opened in a cautious manner, and to scrupulously ensure that there is no complacency in adhering to Covid appropriate behaviour and in the test-track-treat-vaccinate strategy," he said in his communication to states and UTs.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka government on Saturday announced further easing of lockdown restrictions in 19 of the 31 districts from June 21.

The 16 districts with less than a five per cent positivity rate are Belagavi, Mandya, Koppal, Chikkaballapura, Tumakuru, Kolar, Bengaluru Urban (including BBMP limits), Gadag, Raichur, Bagalkote, Kalaburagi, Haveri, Ramanagar, Yadgir and Bidar, Yediyurappa said. In these districts, all shops will remain open till 5 pm. Hotels, clubs and restaurants without air conditioners will be allowed to operate with 50 per cent occupancy.

Outdoor shooting, bus and Metro rail services with 50 per cent occupancy and outdoor sports without spectators will be allowed, he said.

After over a month of imposing lockdown curbs, the Telangana government on Saturday decided to lift the shutdown in the state from Sunday in view of a decline in cases and also reopen educational institutions from July 1.

The Goa government on Saturday extended state-level curfew till June 28, 7 am. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said: "Shops in malls, except for cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes, entertainment zones would be allowed to open between 7 am to 3 pm," adding that fish market could also be opened.