Firecracker Ban: Karnataka currently has 8.41 lakh of total coronavirus cases.
Karnataka’s chief minister, BS Yediyurappa, has reconsidered the promised ban on firecrackers on Diwali and has now allowed “green” cookies. The state had banned firecrackers for Diwali yesterday in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and how increased pollution after Diwali may affect the situation.
In a statement today, Mr. Yediyurappa said, following people’s “suggestions”, “I call on people to celebrate Deepavali in a simple way using only green cookies.”
The government has taken all the necessary measures for the control of COVID-19, and in such a situation it was appropriate to celebrate Deepavali in a simple and meaningful way, taking into account the health of citizens and children, Yediyurappa said.
Several states, including Rajasthan, Odisha and Delhi, have already decided to ban firecrackers ahead of next week’s big festival.
The coronavirus affects the lungs and the increased pollution that takes place with Diwali and the onset of winter is expected to lead to an increase in numbers.
The smoke can affect even people who have recovered from COVID-19 infection, said state health minister K Sudhakar, confirming the state government’s earlier decision to ban cookies.
Karnataka currently has 8.41 lakh of total coronavirus cases, the second highest in the country after Maharashtra. The state also saw 11,347 deaths from the highly infectious disease. But the daily increase in cases, which stood at 2,960 over the past 24 hours, is much less than that of Delhi.
Delhi is already climbing the charts with a record of more than 7,000 people testing positive in the 24 hours that ended last night. At 7,178, it was the highest daily increase in the country.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said that the national capital is witnessing its third peak.
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