Covid-19 Revival: Delhi May Ban Public Holi Celebration, Say Sources

The state recorded 823 new Covid-19 cases yesterday, and one related death.

Delhi, the sixth most Covid-19-affected state in the country, may ban the public celebration of Holi this year amid a steady increase in the number of new infections over the past few days. The matter has been discussed by the state Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and an order may be issued soon, government sources have said. The state recorded 823 new Covid-19 cases till yesterday, with one related death. It has had 6,47,984 affected patients and 10,956 fatalities in all since the outbreak in January 2020. It reported over 800 cases for the first time this year on Saturday as the positivity rate breached the 1 per cent-mark after over two months. "Given the situation, public celebration of Holi could prove to be a super-spreader," Delhi government sources said. "It is imperative that people celebrate at home and stay away from crowds." All those who took part in the DDMA meeting on experts' recommendation have agreed on the matter, according to the sources.