Implement containment steps advisory: Ministry of Home Affairs

Granting legal force to an April 25 Health Ministry advisory, the Ministry of Home Affairs Thursday issued an order under the Disaster Management Act for its immediate implementation by states and Union Territories.

The April 25 advisory had asked states and UTs to identify districts where either the positivity rate had been more than 10 per cent or more in the last one week, or where bed occupancy was more than 60 per cent. It had said districts fulfilling any of the above two criteria should be considered for taking intensive and local containment measures.

The National Directives for COVID-19 Management shall continue to be strictly followed throughout the country, says the the MHA order which will be effective till May 31.

Making district magistrates responsible for the implementation, the order has said, “Any person violating these measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of…the Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under Section 88 of the IPC, and other legal provisions as applicable.”