Plan Advance Response, Enforce Covid Guidelines: Centre To Union Territories

The Union Territories were also asked to ramp up testing and augment hospital infrastructure while planning COVID response measures in advance for the next three weeks, the Union health ministry said in its statement.

The Centre on Tuesday advised all union territories to ensure strict enforcement of COVID-appropriate behaviour along with restrictions on movement and large gatherings, an official statement said. The Union Territories were also asked to ramp up testing and augment hospital infrastructure while planning COVID response measures in advance for the next three weeks, the Union health ministry said in its statement. The measures were suggested at a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla along with Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, and attended by chief secretaries of all Union Territories, to review the COVID-19 situation and the response strategy, it said. The meeting, held through videoconferencing, was also attended by Member (Health) NITI Aayog Dr VK Paul, and DHR Secretary and research agency ICMR DG Dr Balram Bhargava. The director generals of police of all Union Territories were also present at the meeting, it added.