No Negative COVID Report Mandatory For Kumbh Mela In Haridwar. A Move That Could Backfire?

Days after becoming the new chief minister of Uttarakhand Tirath Singh Rawat has announced that no COVID-19 negative certificate is required from April 1 for pilgrims who wish to visit Haridwar to take a holy dip in the Ganga River during the Kumbh Mela, according to a news report.

The decision aims to ease plans for thousands of people who are planning to visit Haridwar during the holy Kumbh Mela which officially begins on April 1.

"The faith of crores of devotees around the globe is attached with the Kumbh Mela. It is the responsibility of all of us to coordinate with each other and arrange for facilities for the devotees who come to take part in the Mela," Rawat said.

The earlier government in Uttarakhand, led by Trivendra Singh, had imposed multiple restrictions for the Kumbh Mela amid the ongoing pandemic and an apparent onset of the second wave across the country.

Reuters

A COVID negative report was mandatory, along with restricted entry for senior citizens, and people with comorbidities in wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID cases on the rise in Uttarakhand

Amid the surge in COVID-19 infections across the country, an uptick has been registered in the state of Uttarakhand too.

Uttarakhand has reported 97,700 cases of coronavirus while the toll has climbed to 1,700 in the state.

AFP

While states like Maharashtra have imposed lockdown and night curfews in many areas, leniency in an event of such grand scale could lead to a further rise in COVID-19 cases.

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand government decided to withdraw the cases registered in connection with the violation of coronavirus guidelines in the state.