<span style="color: #222222;">Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the existing COVID Guidelines for Surveillance, Containment and Caution till 31st of March this year.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Ministry said, while there has been a substantial decline in the active and new COVID-19 cases, there is need to maintain surveillance, containment and caution so as to fully overcome the pandemic.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The States and Union Territories have been advised to speed up the vaccination of the target population to break the chain of transmission.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">They have also been asked that Containment Zones continue to be demarcated carefully, prescribed containment measures strictly followed within these zones and COVID-appropriate behaviour promoted and strictly enforced.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Standard Operating Procedures prescribed in respect of various permitted activities will be followed scrupulously. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Minister has directed them to strictly enforce the focussed approach on surveillance, containment and strict observance of the guidelines and SOPs.</span><br />''