Make Covid-19 test must for people coming home from hotspots: UP issues Holi directive

Ahead of Holi 2021, the state government has issued detailed guidelines asking senior citizens and other vulnerable groups to stay away from gatherings

Ahead of Holi 2021, the Centre and the states are strengthening their vigil as festivities in the past have accelerated the spread of the Covid-19 infection in India. Uttar Pradesh becomes the latest state to issue detailed guidelines asking senior citizens and other vulnerable groups to stay away from gatherings. The state government has made Covid-19 test mandatory for people coming home from states which are seeing a sharp rise in the number of infections.

A health worker collects a swab sample to test for Covid-19 at a health centre in Greater Noida. (Sunil Ghosh /HT)

Schools in the state will remain closed from March 24 to March 31. Other educational institutes in the state can remain closed between March 25 and March 31, but ongoing exams can continue, the order says.

Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Budh Nagar was brought under Section 144 from March 17 in view of the festivities, including Holi, Good Friday, Navratri, Ram Navami etc., and the restrictions will continue till April 30.

Gautam Budh Nagar (Noida) is emerging as an area of concern as it falls in the NCR region and though the number of daily cases in Noida is not yet worrying, the doubling rate is concerning. Noida's active cases more than doubled in a month, according to health ministry data. On Monday, Noida recorded 29 new cases, which pushed the active case tally to 130. A week ago, there were 73 active cases in the district while in February, there were only 55 active cases.

After Diwali, a surge in the number of Covid-19 infections was witnessed across the country which subsided in November, December and January. From February, the cases skyrocketed once again and they may increase more as the festive season is yet to start.

The ministry of home affairs alerted all states and union territories against crowding, laxity towards Covid-19 norms.