Since April 1, 2021, when the Maha Kumbh Mela began, a total of 5,037 people have tested Covid19 positive while 9 people have died of infection.
According to a media report, till now, 96 seers have tested positive at Haridwar Kumbh Mela, 28 among them on Friday. Since April 7, a total of 9 healthcare workers tested Covid19 positive and on Friday, 7 police personnel tested positive at the mela.
With the surge in Covid19 positive cases in Haridwar Kumbh Mela, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged a top seer to keep Kumbh Mela “symbolic”.
Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said he talked to Swami Awadheshanand Giri, the Mahamandaleshwar of Juna Akhara, over the phone and urged him to allow the Maha Kumbh to remain symbolic in view of the spike in Covid19 positive cases.
Also read: Covid-19 catastrophe: Indian Prime Minister Modi appeals to keep Kumbh Mela symbolic
“I prayed that as two Shahi snans (dip) have already been completed and now, in view of the Corona crisis, let Kumbh be kept as symbolic. Thus, the fight would get strength during this crisis,” PM Modi wrote on his Twitter handle in Hindi.
It has been reported that after PM Modi’s appeal, seers have urged the pilgrims not to attend the next Shahi snan in large numbers.
The call from PM Modi came as one of the top seers, 65-year-old Mahamandaleshwar Kapil Dev Das of the Nirwani Akhada, died of Covid19 infection on Thursday.
After his death, two Sanyasi or Shaivite sects, Niranjani and Anand Akhadas announced their exit from Kumbh.
According to Union health ministry data on Saturday, India reported daily rise of 234,692 Covid19 infections over the last 24 hours taking the total tally to over 1.45 crore cases.
The ministry said 10 states including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan report 79.32% of the new Covid19 cases.
Maharashtra reported the highest daily new Covid19 cases at 63,729.
It is followed by Uttar Pradesh with 27,360 while Delhi reported 19,486 new cases, the Union health ministry said at 11 am on Saturday.
India’s cumulative recoveries stood at 1,26,71,220 in the morning on Saturday.
A total of 1,341 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.