WARANGAL: In view of the ongoing festival season, the Public Health Department has advised people to remain alert and follow the Covid-19 protocols scrupulously. “The next three months are very crucial. One has to be careful so that they do not fall victim to Covid-19,” Public Health Director G Srinivasa Rao said after a review meeting with officials of the District Medical and Health Department in Warangal on Tuesday. He urged the people to celebrate festivals responsibly at their homes, as this would help in breaking the Covid-19 chain and preventing a fresh wave of the pandemic.
Mass gatherings are likely during Diwali and Christmas at places of worship, shopping centres and commercial establishments, which provide ideal conditions for the virus to thrive, Srinivasa Rao said. “Wearing a mask, washing hands and maintaining distance are a must if one wants to protect oneself,” he said.
He gave the example of Kerala, which had managed to contain the virus during the outbreak but is now struggling to keep it in check. A total of 44 lakh tests had been conducted, of which 2.46 lakh tested positive and 1,600 died. He told the officials to step up testing. “The officials need to be on high alert and take all precautions,” he said.