Follow Covid guidelines during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, says Rahul Gandhi’s health minister
Mansukh Mandaviya wrote in the letter that the current yatra should adhere precisely to the COVID criteria.
In a letter sent to Congressman Rahul Gandhi and the chief minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, on Tuesday, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya urged them to strictly adhere to Covid appropriate behaviour during the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra or the yatra might be called off due to rising Covid cases.
The union minister added that the usage of masks and hand sanitizer should be strictly enforced, and that only people who have received all of their recommended vaccinations should be permitted to take part in the yatra.
“I wish to highlight two things for your consideration: 1) In Rajasthan, the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Covid regulations must be properly adhered to. Only those who have received a covid vaccination should take part, and masks and hand sanitizer should be utilised. Participants must be isolated before and after the yatra, according to the letter.
In order to reduce the possibility of the viral sickness spreading, he also asked that the yatra participants be isolated before and after participating.
The yatra and the potential spread of Covid, according to certain members of Parliament (MPs), prompted Mandaviya to write the letter.
According to Mandaviya’s letter, “MPs from Rajasthan, PP Chaudhry, Nihal Chand, and Devji Patel, voiced worries about the rally’s potential to spread the Covid disease.
“If it is not possible to follow the instructions, the Bharat Jodo Yatra must be cancelled in the interests of the nation as a whole due to the public health emergency and to prevent the spread of disease. I’m hoping you’ll address the concerns made by the MPs very now,” wrote Mandaviya in the letter.
Anurag Thakur, a Union minister, concurred with the health minister that Covid regulations must be obeyed.
“I want to know if this particular family is exempt from protocol. I can see how the family would be given more weight in the party than the president, but they still need to abide by Covid rules,” Thakur was cited by ANI as saying.
In response to the letter, Rajasthan CM Gehlot criticised the federal government and declared that the yatra would go on as planned.
“Thousands are participating in the yatra. Union ministers are writing these letters because the central government is so terrified of them. Our yatra is ongoing and will carry on in the future, according to CM Gehlot.
This development occurs one day after the health ministry ordered all states and union territories to enhance whole genome sequencing of positive samples in order to maintain track of newly appearing variations. Health ministry secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote to all states and UTs, “In view of the sudden spurt of cases being witnessed in Japan, the United States of America, Republic of Korea, Brazil, and China, it is essential to gear up the whole genome sequencing of positive case samples to track the variants through…INSACOG network.”
There are still over 35 lakh Covid instances recorded each week worldwide, according to the Center, but Dr. NK Arora, the head of the Covid-19 working group NTAGI, said there is no need to be alarmed because the country’s system is “vigilant.”
The expert expressed certainty that India is ready to handle the Covid crisis and claimed that should a new sub-variant appear, the nation can take the necessary action.
“It is crucial that we keep a careful eye on the situation in China. However, I would contend that there is no cause for concern. There is no need to worry excessively. Although the system is incredibly watchful, we also need to be very watchful. The most crucial aspect of genetic surveillance is that it is being conducted on people who have symptoms, according to Arora, who was quoted by the news agency ANI.
