Full Vaccination Prerequisite If Attending Mass Gathering Essential: Govt Ahead Of Festive Season

New Delhi: Mass gatherings should be discouraged but if attending it is essential then full vaccination should be a prerequisite, the Union government said on Friday and urged people to get the jabs and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour, especially during the festive season. In a press conference, it warned the second wave of coronavirus infection in India was not yet over even though the weekly positivity rate was showing an overall declining trend.

Also Read: States And UTs Asked To Complete First Dose Of COVID Vaccination For Teaching And Non-Teaching Staff In September

The Centre said that 39 districts in the country reported over 10 per cent weekly Covid positivity rate in the week ending August 31 while in 38 districts it was between 5 and 10 per cent. It asserted that 16 per cent of India’s adult population have received both the doses of COVID-19 vaccine while 54 per cent have been administered at least the first dose.

In Sikkim, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Himachal Pradesh all the adult population have got at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the government said.

In view of the upcoming festive season amid the scare of the third wave of COVID-19 infections striking the country, the Centre said mass gatherings have to be discouraged and full vaccination should be a prerequisite if attending such a congregation is essential.

People should celebrate festivals at home, follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and embrace vaccination, the government said.

It added that about 300 cases of delta plus variant of SARS-CoV-2 have been detected in India so far.

Also Read: Study Shows Downside Of Not Receiving Second Shot Of COVID-19 Vaccine

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.