Patna: The state government in Bihar has banned Holi festivities and also decided to impose restrictions on public gatherings in view of a sudden surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in five Indian states. Holi, known as the festival of colours, marks the arrival of spring and will be celebrated on March 29 this year.
A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Crisis Management Group held on Monday evening under the chairmanship of Bihar chief secretary Arun Kumar Singh. The meeting decided to ban all Holi festivities in public places and directed all the district magistrates not to permit Holi festivities in their areas of jurisdiction.
Although no restrictions on Holi celebration inside the home were imposed, the government has asked the people to avoid large gatherings.
At the same time, the state government is mulling shutting all schools from March 22 to fight the virus.
Authorities have also intensified vigil at railway stations and airports, especially for passengers coming from Kerala, Maharashtra and Punjab, three Indian states that have reported a surge in cases in recent weeks. “Those travelling to Bihar from these three states from March 17 will have to show their RT-PCR or rapid antigen tests at the airports whereas the government is conducting random test of passengers at the railway stations,” a government official said.
The vigil was tightened after five out of 64 passengers coming to Bihar from Maharashtra were tested positive during screening by a medical team at the Gaya railway station on Monday. The health department has also deployed its teams at the bus stops to ensure the returning migrants don’t leave for their homes before undergoing the COVID-19 tests.
The state government has also decided to reopen the quarantine centres in blocks and panchayats (village councils) that were closed in July. All migrants returning to their villages for the Holi festival will be put in these quarantine centres.
The government has also identified 56 micro-containment zones in Patna alone. Isolation centres are also being opened in the rural areas where Anganwadi workers and village council members have been asked to keep a watch on those returning from outside the state during Holi. Use of masks has also been made mandatory. The state reported 347 fresh COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours.
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