COVID norms went for a toss as lakhs of devotees gather for Shahi Snan at Haridwar and PM holds massive public rallies in Bengal, even as AIIMS warns non-adherence of rules will put a huge strain on India’s healthcare system
Naga sadhus take a dip in Ganga river on the day of Shahi Snan, during Kumbh Mela festival, in Haridwar, on Monday. Pic/AFP
India reported another record daily surge in coronavirus infections on Monday to overtake Brazil as the second-worst hit country. The 168,912 cases added in the past 24 hours pushed India’s total to 13.5 million, while Brazil has 13.4 million. It also reported 904 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 1,70,179, which is the fourth highest toll, behind the US, Brazil and Mexico.
The surge coincides with the shortage of vaccines in some of the worst affected states, the Kumbh Mela at Haridwar, Uttarakhand, and rallies for the ongoing Assembly polls in West Bengal. Tens of thousands of Hindu devotees gathered by the Ganga river for special prayers on Monday, many of them flouting physical distancing practices. Critics say the festival has been allowed at a time when infections are skyrocketing because the government isn’t willing to anger Hindus, who are the BJP’s biggest supporters.
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Screenshots of videos of three rallies uploaded on the Twitter account of Narendra Modi
35 lakh pilgrims came
Health experts had appealed for the festival to be canceled, but the government went ahead saying safety rules would be followed. “We are continuously appealing to people to follow COVID-19 appropriate behavior. But due to the huge crowd, it is practically not possible,” said Mela Inspector General Sanjay Gunjyal. According to Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat, about 35 lakh people participated. There are concerns that pilgrims could get infected and then take the virus back to their cities and villages in other parts of the country.
Critics have compared the government’s response to the festival to the response last year when Muslims faced rising Islamophobia following accusations that an initial surge in infections was tied to a three-day meeting of the Tablighi Jamaat in New Delhi.
Some leaders from the BJP and India’s freewheeling TV channels labelled Muslims as “jihadis” and “super spreaders” in March 2020 when the seven-day rolling average of coronavirus cases in the country was not even 200 per day. The blame triggered a wave of violence, business boycotts and hate speech toward Muslims. India’s 200 million Muslims account for 14 per cent of the population and are the largest minority group in the Hindu-majority nation.
AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria on Monday said that people not adhering to COVID-appropriate behaviour and the circulation of highly infectious strains of SARS-COV-2 could be the primary reasons behind the surge cases in India. He warned that if the situation is not reversed, then the galloping infection rate will eventually cause a huge strain on the country’s healthcare system.
Expert panel gives nod to Russia’s Sputnik V
An expert panel has recommended granting approval to Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V for emergency use in the country with certain conditions, sources said. The Subject Expert Committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation on Monday took up the application of Dr Reddy's Laboratories seeking emergency use authorisation for Sputnik V. The recommendations have been sent to the Drugs Controller General of India for final approval. Sputnik V has demonstrated an efficacy rate of 91.6 per cent in the interim analysis of phase 3 clinical trial, which included data on 19,866 volunteers in Russia. By end of the third quarter of 2021, India will be getting Johnson & Johnson, Novavax and Zydus Cadila's vaccine as well, ANI reported, quoting its sources.
Infections in courts; shortage of beds amid record spike
>> Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday directed officials to convert some government and private hospitals into dedicated COVID-19 facilities to cope with the alarming rise in cases in Delhi. He also asked the officials to request the Centre to increase the number of beds for COVID-19 patients in its hospitals in the city, an official statement stated. Kejriwal said the number of beds in government and private hospitals must be at par with that in November last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak.
Ambulances carrying COVID deceased, parked outside a crematorium in Ranchi. Pic/PTI
>> In the Supreme Court, around 44 employees have tested positive for coronavirus in the past one week. In view of the rapid spread, SC judges would hold court from their residences on Monday, PTI quoted sources as saying.
>> The Gujarat High Court pulled up the state government on Monday over the COVID-19 situation in the state and problems being faced by citizens, saying the reality is contrary to what officials claims. “People now think that they are at God’s mercy,” a division bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Bhargav Karia said while hearing a suo motu PIL.
>> Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday said the state government could impose lockdown if the necessity arises and if people do not adhere to COVID-19 protocols. Karnataka has reported 9,579 fresh cases and 52 deaths, the health department said on Monday.
>> A state-run hospital in Bihar’s capital, Patna, declared an alive COVID-19 patient dead and handed over another person’s body to his kin, prompting an enquiry into the incident. The incident took place at Patna Medical College and Hospital on Sunday.
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