New Delhi: The central government on Wednesday lifted restrictions under the Disaster Management Act to contain Covid, but warned “we still need to remain watchful of the situation”.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Home Ministry advised all states and Union Territories to appropriately discontinue the stringent containment measures but to remain vigilant about vaccination and Covid-appropriate behaviour. The use of face masks and maintaining hand hygiene would continue, the advisory read.
Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla’s advisory to states said: “Over the last 24 months, significant capacities have been developed for various aspects of management of the pandemic, such as diagnostics, surveillance, contact tracing, treatment and vaccination, hospital infrastructure and the general public has much higher level of awareness on Covid-appropriate behaviour.”
After taking into consideration the overall improvement in the situation and preparedness of the Government to deal with the pandemic, NDMA has taken a decision that may not be any further need to invoke the provisions of the DM Act for Covid containment measures after the expiry of the existing MHA order…”
The order expires on March 31.
National Disaster Management Authority, Ministry of Home Affairs revokes the provisions of the Disaster Management Act for Covid containment measures.
Advisories on Covid containment measures, including the use of face masks will continue, reads the official order pic.twitter.com/nC4rJB8L9a
— ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2022
The provisions of the Disaster Management Act were invoked for the first time in March 2020 to battle the pandemic.
The law came into being after the 2004 tsunami that killed 10,000 people in India’s east coast.