As Covid Cases Surge in the Country, 102 People Test Positive at Kumbh Mela
Hundreds of loyal devotees gathered in Haridwar in Uttarakhand to take their Shahi Snan (Holy Dip) which takes place on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Hundreds of loyal devotees gathered in Haridwar in Uttarakhand to take their Shahi Snan (Holy Dip) which takes place on Mondays and Wednesdays.
This pilgrimage event comes during a time when the state has recorded its highest single-day spike on Sunday with 1,333 cases.
The organizers of the Kumbh Mela earlier said that strict measures will be in place to ensure safety among pilgrims. According to the Uttarakhand high court, every devotee must carry their RT-PCR negative test report and a medical report. Even according to the state police all arrangements had been made for the Shahi Snan.
“Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will witness three major Snans in the Mahakumbh including two Shahi Snans on Monday and Wednesday respectively. Tuesday will have one significant Snan day to mark the occasion of Navsampat. However, of all the three, the biggest one would be on Wednesday on the occasion of Baisakhi when all 13 akhadas will take the holy dip in Ganga,” Inspector general, Mahakumbh, Sanjay Gunjyal, said.
By Monday evening over 28 lakh devotees turned up for the second Shahi Snan in the Ganga. Medical officials stated that 18,169 devotees were tested between 11:30 pm Sunday to 5 pm Monday – 102 were found positive.
According to The Indian Express when they explored an area from the Haridwar station to the Har ki Pauri and the Ghats, they couldn’t find thermal screening anywhere and neither was any action taken against those who were not wearing masks.
Kumbh Mela Inspector General Sanjay Gunjayal admitted that it was difficult to enforce social distancing during the second Shahi Snan.
“We are continuously appealing to people to follow COVID-19-appropriate behaviour. But due to the huge crowd, it is practically not possible to issue challans today. It is very difficult to ensure social distancing at ghats,” Gunjyal had told news agency ANI.
With 102 people testing positive for the virus, there is an increasing apprehension among the public that the Kumbh Mela could become a super spreader.
The total number of coronavirus cases in Uttarakhand stands at 1, 08,812 and the number of active cases is 7, 323.