Shop online, avoid travel: Govt's Covid advisory for festivals

The government on Saturday in an advisory said that states must ensure Covid-19 precautions are followed strictly during the festive season. The government listed measures like promoting online shopping and avoiding unnecessary travel to stop infection rates from spiraling.

The guidelines come ahead of major festivals like Diwali and Eid next month.

The government has suggested measures like:

• Promote online modes of celebrations like online shopping
• Discourage unnecessary travel.
• Strictly follow Covid guidelines during festival celebrations
• No mass gatherings in containment zones & districts where more than 5% positivity rate
• Gatherings allowed with advance permission & limited attendees should be monitored
• State government should issue directions adequately in advance
• Guidelines for malls, local markets and places of worship should be strictly followed
• Follow 5 pillars - Test, track, treat, vaccinate and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.
• District authorities should keep a strict watch over trajectory of cases