Aug 27, 20212 min read

2nd wave still on in India, Covid-appropriate behaviour must during festivals, says health ministry

The second wave of Covid-19 is not yet over in India, the health ministry said in a press conference on Thursday, adding that Covid-appropriate behaviour has to be followed during festivals.

The health ministry said that masks have to be used and other Covid protocols need to be maintained even after vaccination.

Addressing the press conference, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, "The second surge of Covid-19 is still on and as we see there is always a spike after festivals. So during the festivals in the upcoming month of September and October, we must celebrate them responsibly."

He added that the Covid-19 protocols will have to be adhered to even after complete vaccination. "Vaccines reduce the disease severity and help in avoiding hospitalisation. But still, usage of masks and Covid protocols must continue even after vaccination.

Balram Bhargava, Director-General at the Indian Council of Medical Research, made it clear that mass gatherings during festivals or on any other occasions must be avoided. "However, double vaccination is a prerequisite for any mandatory mass gathering," he said.

The Union health ministry also informed that Kerala is adding to more than half of the current Covid-19 cases in India. "Kerala is contributing to more than 51 per cent of the cases today," Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said.

He further stated that 279 districts had reported more than 100 cases in the first week of June and that the number came down to 107 in July's opening week. He added, "Today we have about 41 districts which have a weekly positivity rate of 10 per cent."

The health ministry also informed that 46.69 crore first doses of vaccine have been administered in India so far, while 13.70 crore people have been vaccinated completely.

Meanwhile, India reported 46,164 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, said the health ministry on Thursday. During the same time, 34,159 people recovered from the disease.

The total active caseload in the country is 3,33,725. The recovery rate is currently at 97.63 per cent. India's daily positivity rate stands at 2.58 per cent, while the weekly figure is 2.02 per cent.