Close To 1,000 People Test COVID-19 Positive As Lakhs Gather At Kumbh Mela In Haridwar

Nearly one thousand people tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 in Haridwar. The people were at the Kumbh Mela held at Har ki Pauri, Haridwar, Uttarakhand. 

The one month long Kumbh Mela witnessed 21 lakh devotees taking snan (bath) flouting all COVID-19 norms. Despite the dangerous second wave alarm of COVID-19, thousands and lakhs of devotees visited Kumbh Mela for the Shahi Snan (Royal Bath) on the Ganga Banks at Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar, Uttar Pradesh. The one month long Mela has three Shahi Snans, the first is happening on the 12th of April, followed by one being held today, the 14th and the next and last is on the 27th of April.

The positive cases report came recently after lakhs of people on the 12th of April, took the Shahi Snan. The Kumbh Mela Police Control Room confirmed 21,07,000 devotees taking part in Kumbh Mela Snan till 12 noon on the 12th of April, Monday.

Over the past two days, Haridwar logged 1,002 new infections, of which 408 were on Monday, 494 on Tuesday and close to 1,000 were registered on Wednesday, the 14th of April.

With this, the COVID-19 total active caseload of Uttarakhand in the past 48 hours stands at 2,812. In addition, the overall figures of COVID-19 in Uttarakhand include 1,12,071 positive cases, of which 9,353 are active cases, 98,897 recovered/discharged cases and 1,780 deceased cases.

Despite the rise in COVID-19 cases, the holy Kumbh Mela was organised which is likely to attract close to 150 (1.5 crores) million people in the span of 1 month. In addition, nearly 10-50 lakh people are expected to take a dip in the holy Ganga in this Mela, especially during the auspicious Shahi Snan on the 14th and 27th of April. On the 12th of April’s Shahi Snan, close to 31 lakh people visited the Mela and took the Royal bath flouting all the COVID-19 rules.

The event happens once in 12 years for more than 3 months, but in the wake of COVID-19, the Kumbh Mela has been reduced to the duration of only one month. With such huge mass gathering and neglected COVID-19 norms, Haridwar’s Kumbh Mela is said to be the COVID-19 hotspot centre.