Govt warns against thronging hill stations, stresses Covid-19 protocols should be followed

The government says Covid-19 protocol violations will lead to further increase in infections

Government officials on Tuesday sternly warned against people crowding the tourist spots and thronging the markets as several states lifted the Covid-19 restrictions.

"The community has to follow Covid appropriate behaviour in a sustainable way. The virus is still among us. Whatever you do, do it in a Covid-19 appropriate way,” Lav Agarwal, joint secretary in the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

The alert from the health ministry came following reports and pictures showing overcrowded hill stations like Shimla, Manali and Mussoorie and full to the brim markets in the metros with people resorting to “revenge tourism” at the fag end of the second wave.

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Himachal hill stations witnessed a steep rise in the footfall after the hill state lifted the requirement of mandatory negative RT-PCR report to enter.

India still has 73 districts – as many as 42 of them are in the northeast - with 10 per cent test positivity, while the positivity is between 5-10 per cent in another 65 districts. The positivity rate dropped below 5 per cent in 595 districts.

Indian Council of Medical Research director general Balram Bhargava said district specific measures were to be guided by the test positivity rates and each district must keep a close watch on such rates.

Asked about a possible third wave, Agarwal said the challenge would be to not create a conducive atmosphere for it through the people’s behaviour.