Days after it allowed movement of stranded migrants, pilgrims and tourists during the extended lockdown period, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday clarified that the order was for “stranded persons who had moved from their native places and workplaces just before the lockdown but could not return due to the restrictions.”
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The lockdown imposed first on March 24 to check the spread of COVID-19 pandemic has been extended till May 17.
In a letter to States, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said the “facilitation envisaged in the order is meant for such distressed persons” and doesn’t extend to those category of persons who are “residing normally at places other than native places for purposes of work etc. and who wish to visit their native places in normal course.”
State helplines were flooded with calls and requests of people willing to travel to their homes in private cars, an official said.
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On April 29, the MHA issued the order and asked State governments to appoint nodal authorities to register such stranded persons and facilitate their movement. Though public transport remains suspended, the Railway Ministry is running special trains to facilitate the movement of stranded people, including migrant workers to their homes.
‘Short on infrastructure’
On Sunday, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba held a videoconference with Chief Secretaries and Directors-General of Police of States and Union Territories to discuss the health scenario in the wake of the extended lockdown.
Nine out of 20 districts, where most COVID-19 positive cases have been reported, are “short on infrastructure,” States were informed at the meeting.
States have been asked to maintain health infrastructure data regarding isolation beds, beds with oxygen facility, ICUs among others on COVID India portal on a real-time basis as they impact a district’s classification into red, orange and green zones. Based on zones, the MHA has announced relaxations during the lockdown period.
Private doctors
In containment zones where high rate of deaths have been reported and are facing shortage of healthcare workers, the Centre has asked States to “borrow staff from adjacent districts, hire private doctors on a contractual basis and explore the possibility of engaging retired professionals, final year medical students, NGOs etc.”
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A presentation, ‘Public Health Response COVID-19’, by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare shared with the States, said “20 districts account for 68% active cases and 72% deaths in India.”
It said that in eight districts the doubling rate was faster than 10 days. The districts are Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Central Delhi, North Delhi, Kolkata, Kanpur Nagar (Uttar Pradesh) and Krishna (Andhra Pradesh).
At 3.2%, the seven districts where deaths due to COVID-19 infection were higher than the all India average are: Mumbai, Ahmadabad, Indore, Pune, Surat, Central Delhi and Krishna, the presentation said.
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The confirmation rate of COVID tests in seven districts of Mumbai, Ahmadabad, Indore, Thane, Agra, Kurnool, Kolkata is 4.4%, twice the confirmation rate than the all India average, it said.
With 507 estimated tests per million, Kanpur Nagar was below the all India average.
Norms for prisons
The MHA also released guidelines to prevent spread of COVID-19 in prisons and correctional homes.
It asked police to collect information from persons being arrested on their travel history, cough, fever symptoms or recent contact with a positive case. The guidelines also ask prison officials to wear triple-layered masks, face shields, gloves and asked them to frequently wash hands.
