Home Secretary asks States to regulate festival crowds

Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla wrote to all States on Friday “to take necessary measures to regulate crowds” during upcoming festivals by enforcing COVID-19 appropriate behaviour such as wearing of mask and maintaining social distancing.

Mr. Bhalla stated that the country was passing through a critical juncture as the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths have been on the rise in many States and Union Territories.

There was no direction for political rallies that are seeing huge crowds in poll-bound Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu.