"Use Intensive Containment Measures Where Positivity Rate 10%": Centre

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) did not mention anything about the imposition of a lockdown anywhere in the country in the fresh guidelines.

The centre directed the states and Union Territories on Thursday to go for intensive and local containment measures in districts with a high number of COVID-19 cases to check the spread of the viral disease. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), however, did not mention anything about the imposition of a lockdown anywhere in the country in the fresh guidelines issued in view of the pandemic for May. It asked the states and Union Territories to identify the districts where either the COVID positivity rate was more than 10 per cent or the bed occupancy was over 60 per cent in the last one week. The districts fulfilling any of the above two criteria should be considered for taking intensive and local containment measures, a statement issued by the MHA said. The implementation framework for community containment and large containment areas, as advised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has also been enclosed with the MHA order.