States can impose local restrictions to contain Covid spread: Centre

"States and UTs, based on their assessment of the situation, may impose local restrictions, at district/ sub-district and city/ ward level, with a view to contain the spread of COVID-19," the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in its fresh guideline.

However, there shall be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods including those for cross land-border trade under Treaties with neighbouring countries.

"No separate permission/ approval/ e-permit will be required for such movements," the order said.

Meanwhile, states and UTs, where the proportion of RT-PCR tests is less, should rapidly increase it, to reach the prescribed level of 70 per cent or more, the ministry directed.

The Centre also allowed administrative actions by states, including the imposition of appropriate fines, for strict enforcement of wearing of face masks, hand hygiene and social distancing.

All activities will be allowed outside the containment zones, with SOPs. This means the government will not stop trains, flights, metros, schools, colleges, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, multiplexes, parks, yoga centres, gyms and gatherings.

The state governments have also been directed to rapidly step up the pace of vaccination, to cover all priority groups in an expeditious manner.

Amid the spike in Covid-19, the central government earlier in the day said people at the age of 45 or above will be vaccinated from Apr 1.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said there was sufficient availability of the vaccine against Covid-19.

A total of 5,00,75,162 vaccine doses have been given, as per the provisional report till 7 pm on Tuesday, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in an official release.