Restrict mass gatherings till year-end, say experts

Suggest ramping up testing, surveillance and vaccination

With the COVID-19 cases considerably reducing in this devastating second wave, public health experts want the governments to continue to restrict mass gathering of people for any activity, be it political, religious or social, till the end of the year. Only a small number of people should be allowed at a time for events that cannot be postponed, they suggest. Further, all international travellers should be subjected to quarantine for 14 days and at the end of this period, all members of the household and neighbouring houses should be tested, advocates Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH)-Hyderabad director G.V.S. Murthy, in an exclusive interaction. “A global systematic review conducted recently showed that early initiation of quarantine, large scale screening, strong contact tracing systems and isolation of cases as a combined strategy is the most effective in combating COVID. If the screening coverage is low and isolation facilities are scarce, 75% of asymptomatic cases and mild symptomatic cases will be missed. This will be catastrophic,” he warns, urging the governments and citizens not to let their guard down.