Amid a rise in new Covid-19 infections, the Union health ministry on Tuesday asked states to take public health measures to minimise the risk of Covid-19 transmission during festivities and mass gatherings in the coming months.
The ministry has asked states to urge only asymptomatic and fully vaccinated people to participate in mass gatherings, including yatras (journeys), promote the use of face masks, hand hygiene and physical distancing, and to set up health desks that provide Covid-19 tests.
“During such events/yatras, lakhs of individuals undertake intra- and inter-state journey(s) spanning hundreds of kilometres with halting points arranged by volunteers and community-based organisations,”
Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote in a note sent to all states.
“Such congregations may potentially facilitate the transmission of infectious diseases, including Covid-19,” Bhuhan wrote, listing precautions to minimise that risk.
India’s seven-day average of daily new Covid-19 infections has increased nearly six-fold over the past month, from around 2,300 on May 28 to over 14,000 on June 27.
Health experts suspect the rise is likely driven by a combination of factors such as the circulation of sub-lineages of the Omicron coronavirus variant, the absence of precautions such as wearing face masks and mainitaining physical distance, and waning immunity.
