Experts recommend muted festivities at DDMA meet amid 3rd Covid wave fears

New Delhi: Amid the apprehension of a third Covid wave in Delhi, experts suggested to avoid mass gatherings and celebrate the festivals in a scaled down manner, according to the minutes of a DDMA meeting last month.

Though the Covid situation in Delhi has improved significantly in the national capital, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) prohibited public celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi last week.

Niti Aayog member Dr VK Paul has emphasised that a narrative for celebrating festivals in a "simple manner" should be started as these events can easily reverse all the gains made in the fight against the Covid pandemic, according to the minutes of the DDMA meeting held last month.

He mentioned that citizens must be prepared to celebrate the coming festivals in a simple way. "A third wave of Covid, most of the experts believe, could be in October-November, which falls during the festival season," he said.

Recently, several organising committees in a meeting decided to hold Ramleelas in public grounds. They, however, said that a final decision in this regard has to be made by the DDMA.

In its order on Wednesday, regarding prohibited and allowed activities in Delhi till September 30 in view of Covid, the DDMA did not mention any relaxation for organising Ramleelas.

Several festivals including Dusshera, Diwali and Chhath puja fall in the coming

months. According to experts, the festival season coincides loosely with a possible third wave of Covid.

The Delhi government has directed that all senior nursing officers, who were posted in private hospitals for

monitoring COVID-19 patients, be sent back to their parent hospitals.

"The competent authority is pleased to repatriate all senior Nursing Officers... who were posted as Nodal Officer in various private health care facilities from Delhi Govt. Hospitals to monitor management of COVID-19 patients along with monitoring the Covid vaccination... to their parent hospitals," the order that was issued last week said.

On Thursday, Delhi reported 28 fresh Covid cases and one death from the virus. Active cases in the city have now reached 409 and the death toll is at 25,084.