Covid scare: New Year celebrations may be dampened this year too

BENGALURU: The State Health Department has planned to implement Covid rules as a precautionary measure for Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The Health Department is likely to implement Covid rules for the New Year’s celebrations in the city, considering that international travellers will also be arriving in the city. The Technical Advisory Committee has suggested to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to keep a check on gatherings and international travellers.

The Health Department is likely to implement Covid rules for New Year’s celebrations in the city.

With Covid cases increasing in other countries, the number of cases is likely to rise during the New Year’s celebrations. The Technical Advisory Committee and the Health Department have suggested if there are huge crowds gathered during New Year’s Eve celebrations, there are chances of more Covid cases being reported.

The state government is on high alert and started to take precautionary measures to prevent a Covid surge as the Assembly elections are approaching and to prevent spread of the disease. The Kempegowda International Airport has started to collect random RT-PCR samples from international travellers.

Suryasen, the director of BMTC.

“We have received guidelines from the state government. We suggest people wear masks. As and when we receive gudielines from the Central or state government, we will implement them. The Union government has sent a guideline saying that people should use masks in crowded areas, and hence, we suggest BMTC travellers and other people voluntarily wear masks”, said Suryasen, director of BMTC.