Kumbh Mela 2021: 102 devotees test COVID-19 positive in Haridwar, says report
Kumbh Mela 2021: Amid fears over the ongoing Kumbh Mela becoming a coronavirus superspreader event, there is a report that several devotees who flouted Covid-19 norms and took the holy dip have tested positive on Monday evening.
This comes at a time when the coronavirus cases in the country were on a spike at an alarming rate. Thousands of saffron-clad seers and Naga sadhus flouted coronavirus norms at Har Ki Pauri to take the holy dip in the holy river during Kumbh Mela on Monday, a report said.
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As many as 28 lakh devotees were present during the second holy dip. 18,169 devotees were tested for the contagious disease between Sunday 11.30 pm and Monday 5 pm out of which around 102 turned positive, the report added.
It further stated that there were no arrangements for the thermal screening of devotees. Also, no action was taken against people who were not wearing masks in spite of a new AI-enabled CCTV system.
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The sadhus from different akhadas gathered at Brahma Kund, Hari ki Pauri, to take out the Shobha Yatras through the main path of the pilgrimage city for the royal bath on ‘Somvati Amavasya’.
While several marched barefoot without wearing masks, there was no adherence to social distancing. These sadhus then took a dip in the Ganges, during Kumbh Mela 2021, while the Uttarakhand government showered flower petals from helicopters.
On Tuesday, India reported 1,61,736 new COVID-19 cases, 97,168 discharges, and 879 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry.
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