Govt Reviews Covid Situation At Hill Stations After Tourist Rush Amid Third Wave Scare

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla sounded a note of caution in view of media reports showing blatant disregard of Covid-appropriate behaviour in hill stations and other tourist locations.

(Image: PTI)

New Delhi: Amid fears of a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the Centre on Saturday reviewed the steps taken to check the spread of Covid-19 at hill stations and tourist locations.

The review meeting assumes significance as pictures from tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have come to the fore over the last few days wherein the people could be seen violating the Covid-19 norms.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla sounded a note of caution in view of media reports showing blatant disregard of Covid-appropriate behaviour in hill stations and other tourist locations.

Bhalla, who reviewed the steps taken by the state governments for checking the spread of Covid-19 at hill stations and tourist locations, emphasized that the second Covid wave was not yet over.

The Home Secretary said the states should ensure strict adherence to the protocols prescribed in respect of wearing of masks, social distancing and other safe behaviour.

The Union Home Ministry in a statement said the overall management of Covid-19 situation and the vaccination status in respect of the states of Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West Bengal was discussed during the meeting.

It was observed during the meeting, also attended by Niti Aayog, Member (Health), Dr V.K. Paul, that the second wave decline is at variable stages in the different states and Union Territories in the country.

The meeting also discussed that while the overall case positivity rate may be declining, the case positivity rate in certain districts of Rajasthan, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh is over 10 per cent, which is a cause for concern. 

The states were also asked during the meeting to follow the five-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and Covid appropriate behaviour as has been laid out in the Home Ministry order dated June 29, 2021.

In an endeavour to tackle any potential future surge in Covid-19 cases, it was also advised to focus on adequate health infrastructure preparedness, especially in rural, peri-urban and tribal areas.