People with Covid-19 symptoms should watch Rath Yatra at home: Official | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Those with symptoms of Covid-19 should not attend the Puri Rath Yatra, director of health services Amarendra Nath Mohanty advised on Friday. They can watch the chariot pulling on TV from their homes, he added.Mohanty requested devotees, who plan to attend the Rath Yatra, to follow respiratory etiquettes like wearing masks and washing hands. The festival, scheduled to be held on June 27, will witness between 8 and 10 lakh devotees. “We should keep the numbers in mind while attending the festival,” he added.“Besides, the devotees can follow common advisories like eating healthy food, drinking clean water and using mosquito nets for preventing any water- or vector-borne diseases,” he said.Odisha reported seven new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours. With this, the total number of infections touched 38. Some cases were reported from Puri, Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Balasore, apart from Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.“Covid-19 situation in the state is not at all alarming and completely under control. Very few cases have been detected so far. There is no reason to get worried or panic over unnecessary things from unverified sources,” he added.Mohanty said the Covid variant detected in the state is not virulent. “People should not get complacent due to a lower number of cases. They should take precautions like they were taking during the pandemic,” he added.Official sources said the health department may bring in Covid-19 guidelines if needed. Keeping the situation in mind in the upcoming days, the govt will take a decision on the issue.
