Synopsis
The measures were recommended by the Union health ministry at a high-level meeting on Tuesday but a final decision will be taken by the Centre in consultation with state governments.
Covid-19: 150 districts with over 15% positivity rate may go under lockdown
(This story originally appeared in on Apr 28, 2021)A proposal has been drawn up for a lockdown, with exemptions for a set of defined essential services, in around 150 districts with Covid-19 positivity rate of over 15% as health systems in these areas are seen to be under stress due to the pandemic.
The measures were recommended by the Union health ministry at a high-level meeting on Tuesday but a final decision will be taken by the Centre in consultation with state governments. The proposal may be further refined, but the urgent need to tackle the spread in high caseload-high positivity districts was underlined by the ministry.
NEW DELHI: A proposal has been drawn up for a lockdown, with exemptions for a set of defined essential services, in around 150 districts with Covid-19 positivity rate of over 15% as health systems in these areas are seen to be under stress due to the pandemic.
The measures were recommended by the Union health ministry at a high-level meeting on Tuesday but a final decision will be taken by the Centre in consultation with state governments. The proposal may be further refined, but the urgent need to tackle the spread in high caseload-high positivity districts was underlined by the ministry.
“Our analysis suggests stringent lockdown measures in districts with very high positivity rate are essential to break the chain of transmission over the next few weeks,” a senior official told TOI.