Crowding in Hill Stations: Govt Stresses Adherence to COVID SOPs

Tourists visit the Mall Road after relaxation in COVID-19 curfew, in Manali, Saturday, 3 July.

(Photo: PTI)

As scores of tourists make their way to hill stations in the aftermath of the second wave of COVID-19, the Centre on Tuesday, 6 July, warned that crowding in hill stations and markets without adhering to COVID safety protocols can render the management efforts of the health crisis ineffective, PTI reported.

An official described the visuals of large numbers of people crowding hill stations as “frightening”.

The government has stressed that violating COVID protocols will results in an increase in the infections, and emphasised the importance of covering faces with masks and maintaining physical distancing.

Even though several states have surpassed the peak of second wave, many regions are still in the midst of the surge and the areas recording a test positivity rate of over 10 percent have to reinstate restraints, the government said, according to PTI.

Addressing a press conference on the health emergency, a senior government official stated that around three districts across 17 states and union territories have recorded a positivity rate of more than 10 percent in the last week.

(Photo: Twitter/@himisra)

He added that 91 districts in the country have reported over 100 fresh cases daily in the week ending 4 July.

Underlining directed attention towards certain areas, the official said that 80 percent of infection cases in the country were reported from 90 districts across 14 states and UTs.

We Don't Seem to Have Learnt: AIIMS Chief

Meanwhile, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Chief Dr Randeep Guleria has predicted that the third wave of COVID-19 is “inevitable” and may start to show its beginning signs the country in coming weeks.

Speaking to NDTV, Dr Guleria had said that as various parts of the country begin unlocking and relaxing restrictions, a lack of COVID-appropriate behaviour has been observed.

He stated, “We don’t seem to have learnt from what happened between the first and the second wave. Again crowds are building up... people are gathering."

In Himachal Pradesh, a senior police officer has called the crowds in Manali "tourism with a vengeance."

As per the Union Health Ministry, India recorded 34,703 new COVID cases in the last 24 hours on Tuesday – the lowest in over a hundred days.

The total number of infections in the country stands at 3,06,19,932.

(With inputs from NDTV and PTI.)