In the run-up to the festive season, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday extended the ongoing COVID-19 guidelines for one more month till September 30 and asked states to continue focus on 5-fold strategy - test-track-treat-vaccination, Covid-appropriate behaviour. Issuing fresh guidelines, the Centre asked states and union territories to ensure there is no large gathering during the upcoming festival season and, if necessary, impose local restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla asserted that the overall pandemic situation now appears to be largely stable at the national level, except for the localised spread observed in a few states. The total number of active cases and high case positivity in some districts continue to remain a matter of concern, he told the chief secretaries of all states and UTs in his identical letters.

"The state governments and UT administrations concerned, having high positivity in their districts, should take pro-active containment measures so as to effectively arrest the spike in cases and to contain the spread of transmission. It is important to identify warning signs of potential surges early on and to take appropriate measures to curb the spread. This would require a localised approach, as has been mentioned in Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) advisories dated April 25 and June 28," he added.

In the run-up to the festive season, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday extended the ongoing COVID-19 guidelines for one more month till September 30 and asked states to continue focus on 5-fold strategy - test-track-treat-vaccination, Covid-appropriate behaviour. Issuing fresh guidelines, the Centre asked states and union territories to ensure there is no large gathering during the upcoming festival season and, if necessary, impose local restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla asserted that the overall pandemic situation now appears to be largely stable at the national level, except for the localised spread observed in a few states. The total number of active cases and high case positivity in some districts continue to remain a matter of concern, he told the chief secretaries of all states and UTs in his identical letters.

"The state governments and UT administrations concerned, having high positivity in their districts, should take pro-active containment measures so as to effectively arrest the spike in cases and to contain the spread of transmission. It is important to identify warning signs of potential surges early on and to take appropriate measures to curb the spread. This would require a localised approach, as has been mentioned in Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) advisories dated April 25 and June 28," he added.