"Ignoring Social Distancing"... Tens of Thousands Gather Again for No-Mask Festival in India

Despite the surge in COVID-19 cases, Hindu pilgrims in India gathered in large numbers for a religious festival. [Source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Seo-young] As the number of COVID-19 cases surges in India, tens of thousands of 'no-mask crowds' gathered again at a Hindu festival, sparking controversy.

On the 14th, Indian media such as ABP News and foreign outlets reported that tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims flocked to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, northern India. They immersed themselves in the river near Prayagraj to pray for blessings during the Hindu festival of 'Makar Sankranti.'

The Makar Sankranti festival is a harvest thanksgiving festival held every mid-January. Especially at this time, numerous priests and pilgrims gather at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in Prayagraj, and this year, people from all over India also gathered.

However, social distancing was completely ignored during this event. ABP News reported that over 70% of the gathered people were not wearing masks, and experts warned that since the highly transmissible Omicron variant is spreading rapidly in India recently, such festivals could become epicenters of infection.

Pilgrims participating in a Hindu festival in Prayagraj, India, on the 14th.
Photo by Yonhap News

India's daily new COVID-19 cases dropped to 5,326 on the 21st of last month but surged repeatedly to reach 264,202 on this day. This means the number of confirmed cases increased about 50 times in just one month.

Previously, India also experienced a massive spread after a large-scale Hindu festival was held amid huge crowds last year. Early last year, the 'Kumbh Mela,' known as the world's largest religious festival, was held in Uttarakhand in northern India, leading to nationwide spread of infections, with new daily cases soaring to around 410,000 in May.

Besides Hindu festivals, recent trends in India show no-mask crowds gathering at election rallies and beach resorts. Experts in India analyze that the perception that the Omicron variant is less severe is spreading, causing citizens to become more indifferent to preventive measures.

Meanwhile, Anand Krishnan, a professor of epidemiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), expressed concern to The New York Times recently, saying, "People think of COVID as a mild illness," and that any preventive measures are regarded as bothersome.