Sec 144 in Mumbai for 48 hours; maintain strict vigil, says Centre
Mumbai/New Delhi: Amid the rising cases of the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, the Mumbai Police has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC in the city for 48 hours in a bid to prevent large gatherings.
Citing Omicron and recent incidents of violence in Maharashtra's Amravati, Malegaon and Nanded, the Mumbai Police on Friday issued an order prohibiting any rally, morcha, procession etc. of persons or vehicles in the jurisdiction of Mumbai Police for two days on December 11 and December 12.
The move is being seen as a measure to prevent a third wave of the Covid pandemic and to maintain law and order in the state in the backdrop of some protest rallies in some parts of Maharashtra earlier that had turned violent.
The prohibitory order has been issued by Chaitanya S, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations). It warns that any person contravening this order shall be punished under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and other legal provisions applicable in the case.
Meanwhile, drawing attention towards three states where eight districts have been reporting over 10 per cent Covid positivity rate, the Centre has asked all states and Union Territories to maintain a strict watch on the situation with a focus on district-level measures for containment of clusters of new cases.
In a letter to states and Union Territories (UTs), Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said 19 districts in Kerala, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Manipur, West Bengal and Nagaland have been reporting positivity rates between five and 10 per cent in the last two weeks.
The COVID-19 positivity rate has been more than 10 per cent in eight districts in Mizoram, Kerala and Sikkim in the last two weeks, he said.
"Thus, these 27 districts need to be monitored very closely," Bhushan said in the letter.
He said that in this context, it is imperative for states and UTs to maintain a strict watch on the situation with focussed district-level measures for containment of clusters of new COVID-19 cases.
"In case of any district reporting a surge in cases, or rise in positivity rates, intensive action and local containment as per the containment framework must be initiated," Bhushan said.
"The strategic containment interventions in identified areas with test positivity rate of over 10 per cent or over 60 per cent bed occupancy on either two supported or ICU beds, include night curfews, restricting intermingling of people, prohibition of congregations (social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious, festival-related), curtailment of attendees in marriages and funerals or last rites, etc," he said.
Testing and surveillance interventions include ramping up testing and active case search, testing of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases through rapid antigen tests (RAT) and retesting by RTPCR of symptomatic RAT negative tests, the Secretary said.
"Strict adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour at all places and at all times must also be rigorously enforced and aggressively monitored," Bhushan said.
He said that adequate advance information to the community, highlighting the need for stringent containment actions to achieve community involvement and support are also mandated in the framework issued by the Health ministry.
The actions can also be reviewed regularly at the state level to ensure strict adherence to guidelines, Bhushan said.
With 7,992 people testing positive for the Coronavirus in a day, India's COVID-19 tally climbed to 3,46,682,736, while the number of active cases declined to 93,277, the lowest in 559 days, according to Union Health ministry data updated on Saturday.
The death toll mounted to 4,75,128 with the addition of 393 fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has reached nearly 133 crore doses with over 81 lakh vaccine doses administered on Saturday, according to the Union Health ministry.
