The Union health ministry has advised against any mass gatherings during the festive season.
“Full vaccination should be a prerequisite if it is absolutely essential to have a gathering of some people,” Balram Bhargava, director general of Indian Council of Medical Research, said. There are still 39 districts with more than 10% positivity and 38 districts with case positivity between 5-10%.
V K Paul, member, health, Niti Aayog, said the X factor is the behaviour of the virus, which could mutate, and there is no way to control it or form a strategy to deal with it. The risk of mutation will remain for a long time, he warned. He urged people to celebrate festivals like Ganeshotsav, Navratri and Eid at home and limit unnecessary visits to crowded areas.
The country reported 47,092 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday. This is the highest daily figure in the last two months, with a daily positivity rate of 2.62% and a weekly positivity rate of 2.58%. The total active caseload is at 3,89,583. Kerala accounted for 59% of the cases, followed by Maharashtra at 14.02%.
The country has administered 66 crore vaccine doses, with 54% of the total adult population having received their first dose and 16.6% the second dose. Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Dadra Nagar Haveli have achieved 100% administration of the first dose.
