CG to follow new rules to contain COVID
   Date :04-Dec-2020

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Staff Reporter :
 
RAIPUR,
 
Amid a spike in COVID-19 infections in many states across the country including Chhattisgarh, which had reported 21 deaths in past 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released a new set of rules for ‘surveillance, containment, and caution’ to contain the COVID-19 spread. Very recently Chhattisgarh was among the eight states, which collectively contributed 69 per cent of the total active caseload of India. As per the new guidelines which came into effect from Tuesday, the states and Union Territories have been given the authority to impose local restrictions such as night curfew.
 
The states, however, cannot enforce lockdown outside the containment zones without prior consultation with the Centre. The MHA has also prohibited the states from sealing their borders. Local district, police and municipal authorities shall be responsible to ensure that the prescribed containment measures are strictly followed. States and UTs are mandated to strictly enforce containment measures, SOPs on various activities and COVID-19 appropriate behavior and exercise caution and regulate crowds. All activities have been permitted outside containment zones except for some which have been allowed with certain restrictions.
 
These activities are international air travel of passengers, as permitted by MHA, cinema halls and theatres, with up to 50 percent capacity, swimming pools, only for the training of sportspersons and exhibition halls, only for business to business (B2B) purposes. Social, religious, sports, entertainment, educational, cultural, and religious gatherings in closed spaces are allowed with up to a maximum of 50 per cent of the hall capacity with a ceiling of 200 persons. In open spaces, people will be allowed as per the size of the ground. However, based on their assessment of the situation, state and UT Governments may reduce the ceiling to 100 persons or less in closed spaces. There shall be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods including those for cross-land-border trade under treaties with neighboring countries.
 
No separate permission, approval, e-permit will be required for such movements. The states, and UTs will ensure careful demarcation of containment zones by the district authorities at the micro-level, taking into consideration the guidelines prescribed by the Union Health Ministry. Only essential activities shall be allowed in the containment zones and there shall be strict perimeter control to ensure that there is no movement of people in or out of these zones, except for medical emergencies and for maintaining the supply of essential goods and services. The guidelines said the state and UT governments shall take all necessary measures to promote COVID-19 appropriate behavior and to ensure strict enforcement of wearing of face masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing. To enforce the core requirement of wearing face masks, states and UTs may consider administrative actions, including the imposition of appropriate fines on persons not wearing face masks in public and workspaces. The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for markets issued by the Union Health Ministry stated that online booking of groceries and doorstep delivery of those must be encouraged while incentives or discounts for those who shop during non-peak hours may be considered.