Centre advises states to rein in holiday crowds

Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla on Saturday urged states to be cautious after a spate of incidents in many parts of the country where crowds appeared to disregard Covid-safe precautions, especially at hill stations and other tourist locations across the country

Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla on Saturday urged states to be cautious after a spate of incidents in many parts of the country where crowds appeared to disregard Covid-safe precautions, especially at hill stations and other tourist locations across the country.

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Bhalla said the second wave of Covid-19 was not yet over, and that states should ensure Covid-19 protocols, such as wearing masks and avoiding crowding, are implemented strictly. The home secretary was reviewing steps taken by state governments, a home ministry statement said.

During the meeting, the overall management of the Covid-19 situation and the vaccination drive in Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal were discussed.

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the state has ordered a 50% occupancy cap on hotels in Nainital and Dehradun, which have recorded a rush of tourists in last couple of weeks. The state government is also issuing challans to people not wearing masks.

Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur too on Friday appealed to tourists to follow the guidelines.

Following the meeting on Saturday, the MHA said in a statement: “It was observed that the decline of the second wave is at variable stages in the different states/Union Territories in the country, and that while the overall case positivity rate may be declining, the case positivity rate in certain districts of Rajasthan, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh is over 10%, which is a cause for concern.”

“States were also asked to follow the five-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and Covid-19 appropriate behaviour, as has been laid out in MHA order dated June 29. Adequate health infrastructure preparedness (especially in rural, peri-urban and tribal areas) was also advised, with a view to tackle any potential future surge in cases,” the statement added.

Among those who attended the crucial meeting were VK Paul, member (Health) NITI Aayog; the Union health secretary, and chief secretaries, police chiefs and principal secretaries of eight states.