Centre advisory asks States, UTs to increase bed occupancy

New Delhi: The Union Government on Sunday advised states and Union Territories (UTs) to render their assistance `in containing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It has advised taking intensive actions in well-defined geographical units such as cities/town/districts, etc with more than 10 per cent test positivity or 60 per cent bed occupancy.

Districts fulfilling any one of the above two criteria are to be considered for taking intensive action and local containment measures, the Centre advised.

"Local containment primarily focused on restricting intermingling of people is to be undertaken for a period of 14 days for breaking the chain of transmission duly following epidemiological principles. Classification of districts requiring intensive action and local containment is also to be undertaken by the State on a weekly basis," the advisory said.

Centre said that the local containment will essentially focus on three strategic areas of intervention, which include Containment, Clinical Management and Community Engagement. Districts will continue with the strategy of 'Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and implementation of Covid Appropriate Behaviour across the district as the ongoing strategy for the management of COVID-19.

Centre advised that analysis needs to be undertaken with respect to the requirement of health infrastructure so as to manage the present and projected cases (next one month) and necessary action initiated to ensure sufficient oxygen-supported beds, ICU beds, ventilators, ambulances including the creation of makeshift hospitals, as needed.

Sufficient quarantine facilities shall also be re-activated.

On account of a very high number of daily new Covid cases being reported for the past few days, the Union Government has expressed the urgent need for States to consider strict Covid management and control measures in surge areas to bring the situation under control

The existing infrastructure may not be able to cope with this kind of surge, it has been stressed.

The Centre said that the areas so identified for intensive action and local containment will primarily focus on strategic intervention. "Focus will be on containment as a major approach to flatten the current curve of the epidemic. Movement of individuals shall be strictly prohibited during night hours, except for essential activities. Local administration shall decide the duration of the night curfew hours and issue orders," The Centre's advisory said.

The Centre further advised that the spread of the infection has to be controlled by restricting the intermingling amongst people, the only known host for the Covid-19 virus.

"Social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious, festival related and other gathering and congregations shall be prohibited," it said.