The Centre told states on Wednesday they should consider restrictions in view of the coming festive season, amid rising Covid-19 cases in many regions of the country.
The Union Health Ministry said the states should “actively consider local restrictions”, pointing to the festivities starting with Muharram on August 19 to Durga Puja on October 15.
“Indian Council of Medical Research and National Centre for Disease control have expressed concern regarding the mass gathering events during festivals turning into super spreader events,” said a letter from the Union Health Ministry to Chief Ministers and administrators of all states.
“I would like to reiterate that any laxity in ensuring strict adherance to the five-fold strategy of ‘Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and Ensuring Covid-Appropriate Behaviour’, may result in losing the impetus that our country has gained so far in managing the pandemic,” read the letter signed by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.
With 42,625 people testing positive for the coronavirus infection in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,17,69,132 and the active caseload increased to 4,10,353, according to data updated by the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday.
The death toll climbed to 4,25,757 with 562 fatalities.
The number of active cases increased to 4,10,353 and accounted for 1.29 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate rose to 97.37 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.
An increase of 5,395 cases has been recorded in the active caseload in a span of 24 hours.
India recently witnessed a devastating second wave of the disease in April and May this year, following which most states implemented Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns, which have now begun opening up in a phased manner.
However, with festivals approaching and people becoming lax on following Covid-19 appropriate behavior, the Health Ministry’s suggestion may be an attempt to avoid high cases, amid warnings of an impending third in tow.
Uttarakhand and Rajasthan had earlier cancelled the religious pilgrimage ‘Kanwar Yatra’ in view of Covid-19, as well. While Uttar Pradesh had said it would hold the Yatra in Covid-compliance, after the Supreme Court’s intervention, the state held talks with the pilgrimage unions, who decided to call the pilgrimage off later.
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