The Ministry of the Interior (MHA) extended the implementation period of the COVID19 management guidelines from June 28 to August 31 in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Health this Wednesday. In view of the upcoming holidays, the states and territories of the Union are required to strictly enforce these regulations.
The Secretary of the Interior Ajay Bhalla said in a letter to the states and territories of the Union that there should be continued attention to the five-fold strategy of testing, treatment, vaccination, and compliance with appropriate COVID behaviour.
Strict instructions must be issued to the district and all other relevant local authorities to take the necessary actions. Barra said the officials concerned should bear personal responsibility for any negligence in strict enforcement.
The Minister of the Interior stated that there is no room for complacency and that the process of relaxing restrictions must be carefully calibrated. The number of reproductions of the virus hovers at "slightly below one", but it is high in some states. He said that the strictest measures should be taken in areas that still show high positive rates.
Among the major changes to the guidelines, the leading US health authority, CDC, recommends that people vaccinated against COVID19 in high-risk areas of the United States should return to wearing masks indoors. The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Rochelle Varensky cited new data that shows that rare cases involving Delta increase the risk of gradual sexual transmission.