Key Provisions: Guidelines for Surveillance, Containment and Caution dt. November 25, 2020 of Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI
• All activities remain permitted outside Containment Zones, barring few activities which have been permitted with restrictions; necessary SOPs issued for movement by passenger trains, air travel, metro trains, schools, hotels and restaurants etc. in order to contain the spread of COVID-19;
• State or Union Territory Governments to take measures to promote COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and enforce wearing of face masks and ensure hand hygiene and social distancing; States and Union Territories may consider administrative actions, including imposition of appropriate fines;
• State or Union Territory Governments may use the provisions of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) of 1973 for enforcement of social distancing; States and Union Territories may also impose local restrictions such as night curfew. However, State or Union Territory Governments shall not impose local lockdown outside Containment Zones at State/ District / sub-division/ City-level, without prior consultation with the Central Government;
• States or Union Territory Governments shall not dilute the Guidelines;
• In cities where weekly Case Positivity Rate is more than 10 percent, States and Union Territories to consider implementing staggered office timings and other suitable measures, to ensure social distancing (by reducing the number of employees attending office at the same time);
• Employers to ensure (on best effort basis) that Aarogya Setu App is installed by all employees with compatible mobile phones;
• Organisations and business entities with 50 or more employees urged to avail the Aarogya Setu OpenAPI Service (https://openapi.aarogyasetu.gov.in);
• States and Union Territories shall issue necessary guidelines for regulating travel in modes of public transport, e.g., buses, boats etc., and ensure strict compliance of the same; SOPs for regulating travel in aircrafts, trains and metro rails are already in place;
• No restriction on inter-State and intra-State movement of persons and goods including those for cross land-border trade under Treaties with neighbouring countries; separate permission/ approval/ permit shall not be required for such movement;
• Containment Zones to be demarcated by district authorities; with strict perimeter control, intensive house to house surveillance, testing, tracking and listing of contacts of COVID-19 positive persons, quick isolation of COVID-19 positive patients and surveillance of ILI/ SARI cases as per guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW);
• List of Containment Zones to be shared with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and notified on websites by respective District Collectors and by the States / Union Territories;
• Persons above 65 years; with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below 10 years to stay at home, except for essential activities and health purposes;
1. In Containment Zones:
• Only essential activities allowed in Containment Zones;
• Movement of people in or out of these zones is prohibited (except for medical emergencies and for maintaining supply of essential goods and services);
• Intensive house-to-house surveillance by surveillance teams;
• Awareness shall be created in communities on COVID-19 appropriate behaviour;
• Testing shall be carried out as per prescribed protocol;
• Listing of contacts to be carried out in respect of all persons found positive, along with tracking, identification, quarantine and follow up of contacts for 14 days (80% of contacts to be traced in 72 hours);
2. Outside Containment Zones:
All activities have been permitted outside Containment Zones, except the following, which are permitted with restrictions:
i. International air travel of passengers, as permitted by MHA.
ii. Cinema halls and theatres, with upto 50% capacity.
iii. Swimming pools, only for training of sports persons.
iv. Exhibition halls, only for business to business (B2B) purposes.
v. Social/ religious/ sports/ entertainment/ educational/ cultural/ religious gatherings, upto a maximum of 50% of the hall capacity, with a ceiling of 200 persons in closed spaces; and on the basis of the size of the ground/ space in view, in open spaces. State/ UT Governments may reduce the ceiling to 100 persons or less, in closed spaces.
National Directives for COVID-19 management:
General:
1. Face coverings: Wearing of face cover is compulsory in public places; in workplaces; and during transport;
2. Social Distancing: Individuals must maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet (2 gaz ki doori) in public places; shops to ensure physical distancing among customers;
3. Spitting in public places will be punishable with fine (as may be prescribed by the State/UT local authority in accordance with its laws, rules or regulations);
Additional directives for Workplaces:
1. Work from home (WFH): As far as possible the practice of WFH should be followed;
2. Staggering of work/business hours will be followed in offices, workplaces, shops, markets and industrial & commercial establishments;
3. Screening & Hygiene: Provision for thermal scanning, hand wash or sanitizer will be made at all entry and exit points and common areas;
4. Frequent sanitization of entire workplace, common facilities and all points which come into human contact e.g. door handles etc., will be ensured, including between shifts;
5. Social distancing: All persons in charge of workplaces to ensure adequate distance between workers, adequate gaps between shifts, staggering the lunch breaks of staff etc.
Source: Ministry of Home Affairs
