When can district-wise COVID-19 lockdowns be lifted? Health Ministry shares details

With India witnessing a constant declining trend in daily COVID-19 cases, the Union Health Ministry addressed easing of restrictions and lockdowns across various districts in the state. In a press conference on Tuesday, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary of Health Ministry stated that for opening up a district under lockdown, its COVID-positivity rate needed to be below 5% for at least a week.

The 5% positivity rate marker comes based on the recommendations of the World Health Organisation which states that if the positivity rate in a region has remained below 5% for at least two weeks, an outbreak can be considered to be under control. According to the Health Ministry, the positivity rate is less than 5% cent in 344 districts and 30 states have reported a decline in active COVID-19 cases since the last week.

Additionally, the Ministry also placed special focus on the need to vaccinate a large section of the population before easing of restrictions saying that over 70% of the vulnerable population needed to be vaccinated. The vulnerable population includes those above 60 years and those above 45 years with co-morbidities.

Director-General of ICMR Balram Bhargava said, "Gradual lifting (of COVID-19 lockdown) will not witness a massive surge. However, we have to ensure that vaccination is prioritized. The vaccination rate must be up to 70%. COVID appropriate behaviour should be followed."

COVID-19 in India

As per the latest trends put forward by the Union Health Ministry, India is reporting a 50% decrease in the caseload and since May 28 the country is reporting less than 2 lakh cases. Battling the second wave of the pandemic, which has seen an unprecedented number of deaths, India has managed to gradually increase its recovery rate to 92%.

For the month of May, a 69% decline in cases has been reported after the pandemic peak recorded on May 7. Given the hopeful numbers, the Health Ministry also addressed the vaccination in the nation saying that it will be successful in procuring enough vaccines to inoculate 1 Cr people every day by July-August.

India recorded 1,27,510 cases of Coronavirus on Tuesday which took the total number of active cases to 18,95,520. In a span of 24 hours, the nation recorded 2,55,287 recoveries and 2,795 deaths.