Modi flags crowding in hills as 3rd wave trigger

NEW DELHI/GUWAHATI: The crowds at hill stations and markets where people are not wearing masks or following Covid-19 protocols are a matter of concern, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, calling the scenes that have played out in several parts of the country as “not right”.

Modi made the remark during a meeting with the chief ministers of the North-East states, where cases have increased in recent weeks while most other parts of the country have shown a drop in new infections.

“I would like to emphasise strongly that the crowds that are emerging at hill stations and markets without masks or without following protocols are a matter of concern. It’s not right,” he said, according to a transcript of his speech shared by the government.

“We often hear the argument that we must enjoy before a third wave hits. People must understand that the third wave will not arrive on its own,” Modi said, adding that questions must be asked on how we can together stop the next wave of infections.

The Prime Minister’s remarks came at a time when tourist hot spots have recorded large crowds, forcing some to cap the number of guests permitted at hotels and guest houses.

At a press briefing later on Tuesday, a health ministry official said people are violating Covid protocols across the country. “Be it Chennai, Delhi, Chandigarh, or the state of Maharashtra, there is a section that does not observe Covid safe behaviour. The third wave may be caused because of this behaviour,” said Lav Aggarwal, joint secretary, Union health ministry.

“We talk about the third wave as if it’s a weather update. What we fail to understand is that adhering to Covid appropriate behaviour or lack of it is what will prevent or cause any future waves,” he added.

Overall, India’s headline Covid numbers have fallen roughly 16% in the last fortnight. The seven-day average of new cases was around 49,000 on June 27, coming down to around 41,000 on July 11. But six states — five in the North-East and Kerala — have bucked this trend, with cases as well as positivity rate being high.