In a letter to the state chief secretaries, home secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote that the officers concerned should be made personally responsible for any laxity in strict enforcement of Covid appropriate behaviour.
Pointing out that the second wave of Covid-19 is not over yet, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an advisory to all states on Wednesday asking them to ensure strict enforcement of Covid appropriate behaviour.
And it further reiterated, coronavirus-related restrictions can be re-imposed in places and establishments where Covid rules are flouted.
In a letter to the state chief secretaries, home secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote that the officers concerned should be made personally responsible for any laxity in strict enforcement of Covid appropriate behaviour.
"Massive crowds are also thronging the marketplaces, violating norms of social distancing. Consequently, increase in ‘R’ factor (reproduction number) in some states is a matter of concern," the home ministry's advisory to the states and union territories' chief secretaries and administrators said.
"Any increase in ‘R’ factor above 1.0 is an indicator of spread of Covid-19. Therefore, it is important that the authorities concerned are made responsible for ensuring Covid appropriate behaviour in all crowded places such as shops, malls, markets, restaurants, railway stations and other hotspots," Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla's letter stated.
The five-fold strategy of test, track, treat, vaccinate and Covid appropriate behaviour must continue to be the focus of all state governments, he further stated.
The direction comes in the wake of "blatant violations" of Covid norms in several parts of the country, especially in public transport and hill stations at a time when third wave of the deadly virus has already started in various countries and there is possibility that it will hit India if people fail in following appropriate safety measures specified by the government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi too flagged the crowding issue while interacting with chief ministers of northeast states, saying "the crowds at hill stations and markets where people are not wearing masks or following Covid-19 protocols are a matter of concern".
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