Takshashila Policy Advisory - Managed Reopening After Lockdown: Recommendations for State Governments

Executive Summary

To prudently resume social and economic activity in accordance with outbreak risks, healthcare capacity, and vaccination progress, we recommend that State governments:

1. Designate Gram Panchayats/Wards or groups of Gram Panchayats/Wards as Public Health Management Units (PHMUs) and apply restrictions at this level.

2. Follow an anticipatory/pre-emptive approach wherein restrictions can be tightened or relaxed based on what’s happening in other districts and states.

3. Determine threat levels within each PHMU on values of three triggers: Test Positivity Rate (TPR) and Trend, TPR trends in adjoining districts, and Oxygenated Bed Availability and Trend.

4. Roll out a six tier approach for permitting activities within each PHMU based on the threat levels.

Authors