New Delhi: Union Health Ministry on Wednesday asked all states and UTs to ensure free movement of people and economic activities amid reports of additional restrictions in some states and airports in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, in a letter addressed to all Chief Secretaries and Additional Administrators of States and UTs, said that while effectively managing the public health challenge of Covid19, it is equally important that the movement of people and economic activities is not hampered. "It is equally important that movement of people and economic activities should not be hampered by additional restrictions imposed at State level points of entries," the letter read.
Asserting that India is showing a sustained declining trend in the number of COVID19 cases registered since January 21, 2022, he wrote, "The average daily cases during last week were 50,476 and 27,409 new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours. The daily case positivity rate on February 15 declined to 3.63 per cent."
In view of the changing epidemiology of COVID19 pandemic both at the country and international level, Bhushan said that existing guidelines aimed at minimizing the transmission of Coronavirus have been reviewed and updated. With the case trajectory in most Indian states showing a sustained downward trend, Bhushan said, "It will be useful if states and UTs review and amend or do away with the additional restrictions imposed, after considering the trend of new cases, active cases and positivity rate in the States and UTs." As per data from the Health Ministry, India's cumulative vaccination coverage exceeds 273.86 crore with more than 41.54 lakh vaccine doses administered in the last 24 hours.
READ: WHO: New COVID cases drop by 19 per cent globally, deaths stable
