Holi 2021: Experts Recommend Against Celebrating Holi During COVID-19, Call To Stay Home | News
Highlights
- Holi, the festival of colours will be celebrated on March 28 and 29
- Experts suggest celebrating Holi with core family members, at home only
- Experts fear a rise in COVID-19 cases following public gatherings on Holi
New Delhi: With a steady rise in the Coronavirus cases in India, the country is witnessing the early second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) believes there are three reasons behind the surge in COVID-19 cases – a loss of COVID appropriate behaviour; laxity in the basic principle of testing, tracking, and isolating than what we were doing six months ago; virus mutation and some of the variants being more infectious. The COVID-19 disease is set to dampen the spirit of Holi, the festival of colours, to be celebrated on March 29. Experts believe that celebrating festivals, especially one like Holi, for which people gather, smear each other in colours and party, can result in a further increase in the COVID-19 cases. NDTV spoke to a host of experts to understand if one should celebrate Holi this year and how.
Also Read: COVID-19: Centre Asks States To Restrict Public Observance Of Festivals, Limit Or Stop Gatherings
Dr Manjusha Agarwal, Senior Consultant- Internal Medicine at Global Hospital in Mumbai suggested against any kind of celebrations this year on Holi. She said, we are officially in the second wave of COVID-19; India is the third worst affected country by the total number of COVID-19 cases, amid this, there should be no question of whether to celebrate or not. Dr Agarwal who has been on COVID duty for a year now, said,
As COVID warriors we have seen a steep rise in COVID cases lately; a lot of people are coming in sick and requiring oxygen. Currently, we are in the same position where we were last year. Just because there are no serious restrictions like lockdown, people do not understand the severity, but the second wave is a result of people lowering their guards, socialising and not following COVID precautionary measures – hand hygiene, wearing a face mask and practising social distancing. Celebrations are for fun and enjoyment but not at the cost of the health of you and your family.
Dr Agarwal added that though we have vaccines against COVID-19 disease, the novel coronavirus is still there and transmissible and causing infection. Any kind of celebration at the moment is very high risk behaviour on people’s part.
Dr Indraneel Raut, Additional Director, Critical Care Medicine at Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre in Mumbai resonated with Dr Agarwal. He said,
Holi, the festival of colours involve close physical contact and we have seen that be it any kind of social gathering, people tend to drop their guards and flout COVID norms. If you say that I will wear a mask to protect myself and play Holi, I will say, what if your mask gets wet? The efficacy of the mask goes for a toss as and when it gets damp. Also, we don’t know for how long the virus survives on colours.
Dr Raut added that if there are young children in the house who wish to celebrate the festival, it should be done within the four walls of the house with core family members only. Do not invite people for a Holi party, he added.
In early March 2020, when COVID-19 was spreading its wings in India and a lockdown was yet to be imposed, some people did celebrate Holi. Talking about how Holi this year is different and why it should not be marked with great pomp and show, Dr Manoj Sharma, Senior Consultant, Internal medicine, Fortis Hospital Vasant Kunj, said,
Last year, around this time, only people who had travelled abroad were testing positive for COVID-19 so gatherings in public places were avoided and celebration with near and dear ones provided no one has symptoms was allowed. This year, as we know, COVID is spreading again and there are various mutations that are more transmissible.
In the light of the COVID surge, various states and Union Territories including Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Gujarat and Odisha have barred public celebration of Holi as public gatherings can turn out to be super spreader events. On March 23, Uttar Pradesh government issued a detailed advisory that calls for Holi leave for students upto class 8 from March 24-31; aggressive contact tracing; testing 25-30 contacts of a COVID-19 positive patient within 48 hours; carrying out Holi processions only after permission from the government.
Talking about if such restrictions will prove to be a boon, Dr Manoj Sharma said,
Definitely as it is difficult to control a large population. Putting up restrictions is in the best interest of all.
Dr Indraneel Raut also called short-term restrictions as one of the solutions to fight COVID-19, especially during festivals. He said,
People tend to violate rules under the ambit of, ‘I have got the vaccine, I won’t get the COVID-19’ or ‘I have already got COVID-19 in the past so I’m safe’. One day of curfew will help.
Dr Manjusha Agarwal also said gatherings and socialisation should be avoided until everyone or a large chunk of the population is vaccinated which will happen in a year. She asked, “Why can’t we wait for a year?”
While signing off, Dr Manoj Sharma shared a word of advice and said,
Ideally, we all should stay home this Holi. It’s difficult but we will have enough Holi to celebrate if we remain healthy.
Also Read: Lockdown Should Be Imposed During Holi, Suggest Healthcare Experts
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.
World
12,67,13,890Cases
5,21,73,641Active
7,17,62,917Recovered
27,77,332Deaths
Coronavirus has spread to 192 countries. The total confirmed cases worldwide are 12,67,13,890 and 27,77,332 have died; 5,21,73,641 are active cases and 7,17,62,917 have recovered as on March 28, 2021 at 4:01 am.
India
1,19,71,624 62714Cases
4,86,310 33663Active
1,13,23,762 28739Recovered
1,61,552 312Deaths
In India, there are 1,19,71,624 confirmed cases including 1,61,552 deaths. The number of active cases is 4,86,310 and 1,13,23,762 have recovered as on March 28, 2021 at 2:30 am.
State & District Details
| State | Cases | Active | Recovered | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DistrictCases Mumbai45,478 Thane13,660 Pune9,920 Mumbai Suburban5,363 Aurangabad1,974 Nashik1,575 Raigad1,462 Palghar1,421 Solapur1,291 Jalgaon1,039 Akola757 Nagpur692 Kolhapur646 Satara629 Ratnagiri350 Amravati291 Dhule228 Hingoli208 Jalna201 Ahmednagar190 Nanded176 Yavatmal150 Sangli145 Latur139 Osmanabad125 Sindhudurg114 Buldhana88 Parbhani78 gondia69 Beed54 Nandurbar42 Gadchiroli42 Bhandara41 Chandrapur32 Washim13 Wardha11 |
26,73,461 35,726 |
3,04,809 21,037 |
23,14,579 14,523 |
54,073 166 |
|
DistrictCases Kannur357 Kasaragod333 Palakkad224 Malappuram119 Kollam118 Thrissur106 Thiruvananthapuram104 Pathanamthitta98 Kozhikode90 Alappuzha76 Kottayam73 Ernakulam60 Idukki40 Wayanad36 |
11,15,777 2,055 |
24,541 43 |
10,86,669 2,084 |
4,567 14 |
|
DistrictCases Udupi1,176 Kalaburagi669 Yadgir538 Bengaluru Urban529 Raichur369 Mandya346 Belagavi337 Bidar219 Hassan205 Davangere204 Vijayapura201 Dakshina Kannada179 Chikkaballapura149 Mysuru107 Bagalkote103 Uttara Kannada95 Shivamogga67 Dharwad61 Ballari60 Gadag45 Bengaluru Rural40 Tumakuru36 Kolar29 Haveri24 Chikkamagaluru19 Chitradurga14 Koppal5 Kodagu4 Ramanagara3 Chamarajanagara0 |
9,83,930 2,886 |
21,271 1,699 |
9,50,167 1,179 |
12,492 8 |
|
DistrictCases Kurnool795 Krishna557 Guntur511 Anantapur428 East Godavari356 Chittoor319 Sri Potti Sriramulu Nell*296 Y.S.R.205 West Godavari199 Srikakulam183 Prakasam104 Visakhapatnam103 Vizianagaram23 |
8,97,810 947 |
4,715 570 |
8,85,892 377 |
7,203 |
|
DistrictCases Chennai23,324 Chengalpattu1,314 Thiruvallur774 Villupuram509 Kanchipuram503 Tiruvannamalai496 Cuddalore477 Ariyalur444 Tirunelveli433 Tuticorin333 Kallakurichi324 Madurai322 Salem258 Coimbatore188 Virudhunagar185 Dindigul175 Perambalur133 Ranipet133 Thanjavur130 Theni129 Tiruchirappalli119 Ramanathapuram119 Tiruppur116 Kanniyakumari110 Tenkasi103 Nagapattinam99 Karur88 Namakkal83 Erode75 Vellore71 Thiruvarur67 Pudukkottai53 Sivaganga46 Tirupathur45 Krishnagiri43 The Nilgiris17 Dharmapuri15 |
8,77,279 2,089 |
12,157 839 |
8,52,463 1,241 |
12,659 9 |
|
DistrictCases North West5,463 Central4,817 West4,768 New Delhi3,405 North3,059 East2,472 South East2,446 South West2,391 South2,329 North East1,914 Shahdara1,580 |
6,55,834 1,558 |
6,625 574 |
6,38,212 974 |
10,997 10 |
|
DistrictCases Gautam Buddha Nagar1,119 Agra933 Ghaziabad794 Meerut504 Lucknow386 Saharanpur298 Kanpur Nagar286 Moradabad252 Varanasi243 Hapur225 Aligarh215 Basti214 Amethi206 Rampur203 Jaunpur194 Firozabad190 Barabanki168 Gorakhpur166 Bulandshahr166 Siddharth Nagar159 Ghazipur159 Bijnor157 Deoria143 Azamgarh138 Sant Kabeer Nagar132 Mathura129 Ayodhya120 Muzaffarnagar117 Sambhal116 Sultanpur97 Ambedkar Nagar92 Maharajganj85 Amroha80 Rae Bareli78 Bahraich73 Kheri72 Kannauj69 Baghpat68 Kushi Nagar67 Bhadohi60 Ballia60 Gonda59 Etah52 Hardoi49 Balrampur49 Mau48 Mainpuri46 Etawah46 Hathras43 Unnao42 Jalaun41 Jhansi41 Shamli40 Chandauli38 Auraiya37 Farrukhabad36 Sitapur32 Prayagraj30 Banda27 Shahjahanpur25 Shravasti23 Budaun23 Mirzapur22 Bareilly17 Kasganj16 Pratapgarh15 Pilibhit15 Sonbhadra10 Kaushambi6 Kanpur Dehat4 Chitrakoot4 Lalitpur3 Hamirpur3 Mahoba3 Fatehpur3 |
6,12,403 1,102 |
6,667 843 |
5,96,953 255 |
8,783 4 |
|
DistrictCases Kolkata2,777 Howrah1,435 24 Paraganas North1,031 Hooghly604 24 Paraganas South281 Maldah235 Dinajpur Uttar216 Coochbehar210 Birbhum206 Medinipur West159 Medinipur East153 Nadia139 Purba Bardhaman130 Murshidabad125 Bankura116 Darjeeling97 Jalpaiguri88 Paschim Bardhaman70 Purulia66 Dinajpur Dakshin50 Alipurduar39 Kalimpong18 Jhargram9 |
5,83,839 812 |
4,608 377 |
5,68,909 433 |
10,322 2 |
|
DistrictCases Ganjam581 Jajapur322 Khordha238 Baleshwar190 Kendrapara164 Cuttack155 Bhadrak137 Balangir129 Puri103 Sundargarh102 Jagatsinghapur91 Nayagarh86 Mayurbhanj73 Nuapada69 Gajapati61 Dhenkanal36 Boudh34 Kendujhar34 Deogarh33 Kalahandi33 Sonepur29 Kandhamal28 Anugul26 Malkangiri20 Bargarh16 Koraput16 Sambalpur16 Jharsuguda8 Nabarangpur2 Rayagada2 |
3,39,904 210 |
1,413 120 |
3,36,571 89 |
1,920 1 |
|
DistrictCases Bilaspur100 Korba100 Mungeli87 Baloda Bazar85 Jashpur77 Janjgir-Champa56 Mahasamund54 Rajnandgaon52 Kabirdham52 Raigarh47 Raipur46 Balod41 Korea39 Durg31 Bemetara21 Kanker19 Balrampur17 Surguja14 Gariyaband10 Surajpur9 Dhamtari6 Bijapur2 Bastar2 Dantewada0 Kondagaon0 Narayanpur0 Sukma0 |
3,37,940 3,162 |
17,836 2,529 |
3,16,043 620 |
4,061 13 |
|
DistrictCases Jaipur2,177 Jodhpur1,748 Udaipur724 Bharatpur563 Kota503 Nagaur500 Ajmer379 Dungarpur374 Pali352 Jhalawar329 Bhilwara250 Sikar231 Chittorgarh188 Tonk171 Jalore164 Rajsamand140 Sirohi130 Bikaner112 Banswara91 Alwar90 Churu81 Jhunjhunu64 Dausa61 Dholpur60 Baran59 Jaisalmer53 Barmer34 Hanumangarh31 SawaiMadhopur26 Karauli17 Pratapgarh14 Ganganagar8 Bundi5 |
3,29,595 852 |
6,358 625 |
3,20,426 227 |
2,811 |
|
DistrictCases Hyderabad2,475 Ranga Reddy183 Suryapet87 Jagitial77 Nizamabad76 MedchalMalkajgiri75 Mancherial43 YadadriBhuvanagiri40 Jogulamba Gadwal40 Vikarabad40 Nalgonda33 Warangal Urban32 Mahabubnagar30 Sangareddy26 Khammam26 Adilabad22 Nirmal21 Karimnagar17 RajannaSircilla16 Medak11 Kamareddy11 Mahabubabad10 Jayashankar Bhupalapally9 Nagarkurnool8 Kumuram Bheem Asifabad8 Jangoan8 Siddipet7 Peddapalli5 Bhadradri Kothagudem5 Warangal Rural4 Mulugu3 Narayanpet3 Wanaparthy1 |
3,06,339 535 |
4,495 254 |
3,00,156 278 |
1,688 3 |
|
DistrictCases Ahmadabad17,125 Surat2,311 Vadodara1,555 Gandhinagar410 Mahesana159 Banas Kantha147 Bhavnagar146 Rajkot135 Arvalli134 Mahisagar125 Anand107 PanchMahals107 Patan105 SabarKantha101 Kachchh99 Kheda98 Jamnagar63 Bharuch56 Botad55 Surendranagar55 Valsad47 GirSomnath45 Dohad43 Chhotaudepur37 Naysari35 Junagadh31 Narmada25 DevbhumiDwarka22 Amreli16 Porbandar11 Tapi6 Dang5 Morbi4 |
2,98,596 2,276 |
10,871 737 |
2,83,241 1,534 |
4,484 5 |
|
DistrictCases Indore3,839 Bhopal1,880 Ujjain799 Burhanpur351 Neemuch319 Jabalpur276 East Nimar266 Sagar228 Gwalior211 Khargone196 Dewas140 Dhar132 Mandsaur112 Morena109 Bhind87 Raisen71 Barwani60 Ratlam51 Rewa39 Shajapur39 Hoshangabad37 Vidisha37 Chhatarpur35 Betul35 Rajgarh31 Dindori29 Sheopur26 Damoh26 Satna24 Anuppur22 Panna20 Tikamgarh18 Sidhi17 Narsinghpur17 Chhindwara16 Agar Malwa15 Mandla15 Shivpuri15 Jhabua14 Shandol14 Singrauli13 Ashoknagar13 Datia12 Sehore12 Umaria10 Balaghat9 Guna8 Harda4 Alirajpur3 Katni3 Seoni2 Niwari0 |
2,86,407 2,142 |
12,995 957 |
2,69,465 1,175 |
3,947 10 |
|
DistrictCases Gurugram2,950 Faridabad867 Sonipat404 Rohtak145 Palwal120 Jhajjar114 Karnal104 Hisar98 Ambala93 Panipat78 Nuh68 Bhiwani60 Rewari56 Kurukshetra55 Sirsa50 Kaithal48 Mahendragarh47 CharkiDadri43 Panchkula39 Fatehabad38 Jind38 Yamunanagar19 |
2,86,327 1,383 |
8,410 615 |
2,74,785 761 |
3,132 7 |
|
DistrictCases Patna279 Bhagalpur266 Rohtas256 Khagaria253 Begusarai243 Madhubani199 Munger188 Jehanabad178 Katihar175 Darbhanga143 Samastipur139 Siwan139 PurbiChamparan138 Purnia135 Banka134 Buxar134 Nalanda123 Gopalganj123 Nawada122 Sheikhpura118 Gaya115 Kaimur (bhabua)105 Bhojpur103 Saran101 Muzaffarpur96 Saharsa88 Supaul87 Vaishali87 Madhepura82 Kishanganj75 Aurangabad75 Sitamarhi73 Lakhisarai72 Araria68 Pashchim Champaran57 Arwal52 Jamui47 Sheohar20 |
2,64,604 195 |
1,116 115 |
2,61,917 78 |
1,571 2 |
|
DistrictCases Amritsar485 Jalandhar297 Ludhiana293 Tarn Taran163 Gurdaspur154 Hoshiarpur140 S.A.S Nagar137 Patiala132 Sangrur107 Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr)99 Pathankot86 Rupnagar (Ropar)74 Faridkot74 Sri Muktsar Sahib71 Moga65 Bathinda60 Fatehgarh Sahib57 Fazilka53 Firozepur50 Kapurthala44 Mansa31 Barnala25 |
2,28,864 2,805 |
23,271 619 |
1,98,972 2,141 |
6,621 45 |
|
DistrictCases Kamrup Metro276 Golaghat203 Nagaon143 Hojai89 Dima Hasao86 Karimganj85 Tinsukia84 Cachar80 Dibrugarh61 Hailakandi57 Lakhimpur57 Marigaon50 Dhemaji47 Kamrup42 Kokrajhar37 Dhubri30 Charaideo29 Barpeta28 Udalguri28 Sonitpur27 Jorhat24 Nalbari23 Darrang20 Sivasagar20 Goalpara19 Biswanath16 Baksa14 KarbiAnglong13 Bongaigaon12 Chirang6 West KarbiAnglong5 South SalmaraMancachar4 Majuli2 |
2,18,222 46 |
1,770 23 |
2,15,348 23 |
1,104 |
|
DistrictCases Anantnag395 Srinagar300 Kulgam295 Baramulla271 Shopian255 Kupwara231 Bandipora175 Udhampur155 Ramban151 Jammu138 Budgam110 Pulwama108 Kathua53 Rajouri39 Ganderbal37 Poonch35 Doda27 Reasi26 Samba25 Kishtwar10 Mirpur0 Muzaffarabad0 |
1,29,684 271 |
1,813 132 |
1,25,886 138 |
1,985 1 |
|
DistrictCases East Singhbum170 Ranchi148 Hazaribagh110 Garhwa80 Ramgarh75 Koderma58 Simdega48 Dhanbad32 Gumla28 Palamu27 West Singhbhum21 SaraikelaKharsawan20 Giridih19 Bokaro16 Latehar14 Khunti10 Lohardaga8 Deoghar5 Dumka5 Pakur4 Jamtara2 Godda2 Chatra1 Sahebganj0 |
1,22,621 340 |
1,636 237 |
1,19,878 99 |
1,107 4 |
|
DistrictCases Dehradun370 Nainital323 Tehri Garhwal110 Haridwar94 Udam Singh Nagar83 Almora71 Champawat45 Pithoragarh43 Chamoli36 PauriGarhwal36 Bageshwar31 Rudraprayag30 Uttar Kashi24 |
99,515 257 |
1,339 177 |
96,467 79 |
1,709 1 |
|
DistrictCases Hamirpur117 Kangra105 Una41 Solan32 Chamba29 Bilaspur21 Mandi21 Sirmaur11 Shimla10 Kullu4 Kinnaur2 Lahaul And Spiti0 |
62,383 416 |
2,361 237 |
58,989 176 |
1,033 3 |
|
DistrictCases South Goa69 North Goa57 |
57,453 170 |
1,379 100 |
55,250 69 |
824 1 |
|
DistrictCases Pondicherry111 Mahe4 Karaikal2 Yanam0 |
40,964 128 |
763 127 |
39,521 |
680 1 |
|
DistrictCases Dhalai196 Sepahijala174 Gomati74 South Tripura53 Unakoti49 West Tripura45 Khowai24 North Tripura14 |
33,491 1 |
49 2 |
33,050 3 |
392 |
|
DistrictCases Churachandpur32 Kangpokpi26 Imphal West21 Thoubal18 Imphal East10 Tengnoupal9 Bishnupur7 Senapati6 Chandel5 Kamjong5 Ukhrul4 Jiribam3 Pherzawl3 Kakching2 Tamenglong2 Noney1 |
29,376 3 |
58 2 |
28,944 5 |
374 |
|
DistrictCases Chandigarh313 |
25,898 294 |
2,532 140 |
22,992 152 |
374 2 |
|
DistrictCases Changlang31 Papum Pare8 Lohit3 Namsai2 West Siang1 East Siang1 Upper Siang1 Tawang1 PakkeKessang1 West Kameng0 Upper Subansiri0 Tirap0 Siang0 Shi Yomi0 Anjaw0 Lower Subansiri0 Lower Dibang Valley0 Longding0 Leparada0 KurungKumey0 KraDaadi0 Kamle0 East Kameng0 Dibang Valley0 Lower Siang0 |
16,845 2 |
4 2 |
16,785 |
56 |
|
DistrictCases East Khasi Hills22 West Garo Hills5 South West Garo Hills4 North Garo Hills1 West Jaintia Hills1 West Khasi Hills1 East Garo Hills0 East Jaintia Hills0 Ribhoi0 South Garo Hills0 South West Khasi Hills0 |
14,031 2 |
26 0 |
13,855 2 |
150 |
|
DistrictCases Dimapur20 Mon8 Kohima7 Kiphire3 Tuensang3 Peren2 Phek1 Longleng0 Mokokchung0 Wokha0 Zunheboto0 |
12,229 |
4 0 |
12,133 |
92 |
|
DistrictCases Kargil77 LehLadakh43 |
9,974 9 |
117 6 |
9,727 3 |
130 |
|
DistrictCases East District3 South District3 North District0 West District0 |
6,226 11 |
50 9 |
6,041 2 |
135 |
|
DistrictCases South Andamans33 Nicobars1 North And Middle Andaman1 |
5,044 1 |
7 0 |
4,975 1 |
62 |
|
DistrictCases Kolasib11 Aizawl10 Mamit8 Lawngtlai2 Lunglei2 Saitual1 Champhai0 Hnahthial0 Khawzawl0 Saiha0 Serchhip0 |
4,465 2 |
26 0 |
4,428 2 |
11 |
|
DistrictCases Dadra And Nagar Haveli20 |
3,580 26 |
130 21 |
3,448 5 |
2 |
|
DistrictCases Lakshadweep District0 |
714 |
88 11 |
625 11 |
1 |