COVID-19: MHA urges States, UTs to follow calibrated process while opening up activities

New Delhi [India], June 19 : Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Saturday wrote to the States and Union Territories (UTs) and urged them to follow the "calibrated" process carefully while opening up activities amid declining COVID-19 cases.
Mentioning the sudden rise of COVID-19 cases in the second wave of the pandemic and the COVID-induced restrictions that followed, Bhalla highlighted that imposing or easing the restrictions should both be based on the situation's ground-level assessment.
The Home Secretary has requested the States and Union Territories to ensure that the process of easing of restrictions is a fully calibrated one, which follows the 'fivefold strategy' of COVID appropriate behaviour, test-track-treat and vaccinate.
"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," read the letter.
He also asked the chief secretaries of the states and UTs to direct all concerned authorities to ensure that the COVID-19 testing rate does not drop and that a system to check surge at micro-levels is set up.
"As the situation is dynamic, a close watch needs to keep on early signs of a surge in active cases or higher positivity rates," he added.
Pointing out at the need to vaccinating the nation against COVID-19 to prevent a second-wave-like situation in the future, Bhalla directed all local governments to increase the pace of vaccination, so as to cover a maximum number of people promptly.