With India’s countrywide restrictions to contain Covid-19 due to end at midnight on Wednesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs tonight cautioned state governments that the process of relaxing restrictions should be carefully calibrated.
In a letter to Chief Secretaries of states, Ajay Bhalla, India’s Home Secretary, called for regular monitoring of the pandemic in districts with a high number of active cases per million population.
In anticipation of a third wave of Covid-19, Bhalla said "it is an important indicator to predict the need for upgrading health infrastructure and logistics, so that early and prompt action can be taken."
Such advance actions by the government are designed to avoid the shortcomings faced during the second phase of the pandemic two months ago. The current restrictions went into effect at midnight on April 30 when the second wave was at its apex.
Bhalla noted that with a decline in active cases of infections, many states have started relaxing restrictions.
In a similar communication to states, Rajesh Bhushan, India’s Health Secretary, said that as a result of the restrictions and containment measures during the second wave in April and May, "the trajectory of Covid-19 pandemic in the country is presently showing a steady decline."