Delhi: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday extended the earlier guidelines for Covid-19 surveillance till January 31, 2021. In an order issued, the MHA mandated states and UTs to continue strict enforcement of the measures as prescribed to them by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This development comes in the backdrop of new mutating coronavirus strain which was recently discovered in the UK.

"While there has been a continuous decline in the active and new COVID-19 cases, there is need to maintain surveillance, containment and caution, keeping in view the surge in cases globally, and the emergence of a new variant of the virus in the United Kingdom (UK)," the MHA said in its order.


The order said that the containment zones will continue to remain demarcated and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) will be followed as mentioned earlier.

READ | 'Good News' Around Coronavirus Vaccine Expected Soon, Says Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla

“COVID-appropriate behavior promoted and strictly enforced, and the SOPs prescribed in respect of various permitted activities to be followed scrupulously,” the MHA said.

It further said that the approach on surveillance, containment, and strict observance of the guidelines as issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare needs to be strictly followed by the states and the union territories.

In the last 24-hours, the country witnessed 20,021 new Covid-19 cases, 21,131 recoveries, and 279 deaths. India currently stands at second position with 1,02,07,871 total number of cases.