More than 1,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus during Kumbh Mela in the second week of April. The virus was detected in the city of Haridwar, which lies along the river where the weeks-long Kumbh Mela. As India continues to fight the second wave of the COVID-19 as per a Times Now report, 99 per cent of Kumbh returnees from Haridwar has tested positive for the coronavirus. The report further adds, 19, out of 61 returnees, at least 60 pilgrims have tested positive for the virus.
The Kumbh Mela, which is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world drew flak as many Kumbh returnees tested positive for the virus in various states of the country, thus increasing the caseload. In the wake of rising COVID-19 cases, many states mandated the COVID-19 test or quarantine for the returnees from Kumbh. In Delhi, a 14-day mandatory quarantine was ordered for the Kumbh returnees. The government also warned of strict action against those returnees who withhold information about their travels.Gujarat, among other states, had made the RT-PCR test mandatory for those returning from Kumbh as devotees could be seen violating social distancing norms as well. r Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appealed on April 18 to keep the Kumbh a "symbolic" affair and help protect people from the rampaging virus. Hours after the appeal Swami Avdheshanand Giri, the head of the Juna akhada, or religious group, said "this is the end of Kumbh" for his collective, and called on others to follow suit. At a time when Coronavirus cases in India are at an all-time high, with many states facing a shortage of ventilators and oxygen.