Covid Cases Declining, Govt Asks States To Review And Amend Restrictions

Covid Restrictions: After Covid cases started increasing since the last week of December, several states brought back night curfews.

Several schools have reopened following a decline in Covid cases (PTI)

New Delhi: With Covid-19 cases in India on a downward spiral and the Omicron effect starting to ebb, the Centre on Wednesday asked states and Union Territories to review, amend or do away with additional restrictions after considering the positivity rate in their regions.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, in a letter to to chief secretaries of all states, said the Covid-19 pandemic in India has been declining steadily since January 21.

The country registered 27,409 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours, with the case positivity rate declining to 3.63 per cent. The average daily cases during last week were 50,476.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan writes to all States/UTs, asks them to review and amend or end additional COVID19 restrictions as the pandemic in the country shows a sustained declining trend pic.twitter.com/7iTlZ8tF4q

— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2022

After Covid cases started increasing since the last week of December, several states brought back night curfews and shut down theatres and movie halls.  

"While effectively managing the public health challenge of Covid-19, it is equally important that movement of people and economic activities should not be hampered by additional restrictions imposed at state-level points of entries," Bhushan said in the letter.

"Presently, as the case trajectory across the nation is showing a sustained downward trend, it will be useful if states/UTs review and amend/do away with the additional restrictions so imposed after considering the trend of new cases, active cases and positivity within the state and UT," he further said.

The Centre said that states and UTs must continue monitoring the trajectory of cases and spread of infection on a daily basis.

"They may also follow the broad five-fold strategy of Test Track-Treat-Vaccination and adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour," the letter said

"I'm sure that under your continued leadership the state and UT will continue to address the challenge of Covid-19 while minimizing its impact on lives and livelihood of the people," it further said.

The Centre said Covid guidelines aimed at minimising the transmission and circulation of the virus have been reviewed and updated with the changing epidemiology of the pandemic globally and in India.