The national capital has already witnessed an increase in COVID-19 cases after Diwali celebrations and amid rising pollution levels.
Samiran Panda, who heads the ICMR’s Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases (ECD) division, sought strict adherence to protective and preventive behaviors to curb the spread of infection.
“A protest is a mass gathering and therefore, from a public health perspective, it would suggest protective and preventive behaviors against the spread of coronavirus infection, in which case a super-spread event could occur.
“It is important to take into account that SARS-COV-2 is an efficient transmission virus and such meetings are conducive to its spread,” he emphasized.
KK Aggarwal, president of the Confederation of Medical Associations of Asia and Oceania (CMAAO) and a former president of IMA, said the government should not have allowed the upheaval.
“Why for each step do we need direction or intervention from the Supreme Court? The government has the powers under the Disease Epidemic Act to take control of any situation that may spread the infection.
“Section 270 of the Indian Penal Code also empowers the local police station to bring cases if they feel that some event may spread the infection,” he said.
Aggarwal also noted that in a pandemic, politics should never take precedence.
“The agitation of farmers will end as wide-spread events that will not only be a danger to Delhi but also to the entire country,” he added.
Any agitation or gathering can cause the spread of COVID-19 and therefore gatherings should be avoided during this time and if it cannot be avoided at all, then the rules of social distancing should be maintained, said Sanjay Rai, a professor in the department. of Community Medicine of AIIMS.
Such gatherings can hamper the government’s efforts to control the transmission of COVID-19, he said.
Delhi police put up concrete barriers and improved security at the Ghazipur border with UP as the number of protesting farmers increased as thousands more remained at the Delhi-Haryana border for a fifth day Monday to protest against the laws. agricultural reform of the Center.
Security was increased after farmers threatened to block more roads connecting the national capital.
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