- Title: India's West Bengal hits record daily COVID-19 cases amid festival
- Date: 22nd October 2020
- Summary: KOLKATA, WEST BENGAL, INDIA (OCTOBER 22, 2020) (ANI-NO USE INDIA) EXTERIOR OF DECORATED 'PANDAL' (TENT HOUSING IDOLS OF HINDU GODS AND GODDESSES MADE DURING 'DURGA PUJA' FESTIVAL) IDOL OF HINDU WARRIOR GODDESS 'DURGA' DEVOTEES CLICKING PICTURES ON PHONES DEVOTEES AT IN 'PANDAL' PREMISES DECORATIONS IN FORM OF MASKS VARIOUS OF DEVOTEES IN 'PANDAL' PREMISES DEVOTEES TAKING SELFIE ON PHONE DECORATIONS SHOWING THEATRICAL MAKS WITH (MEDICAL) FACE MASKS ON THEM DEVOTEES GATHERED (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEVOTEE, AISHWARYA, SAYING: "We cannot go into this 'pandal' (tent) …so, this is very different and we need to wear (a) mask every time we are entering to any of puja 'pandal'. There are (is) thermal screening that we need (to undergo) to check whether our temperature is going up or down, and we need to sanitize our hands every time. So, this (Durga) Puja is all about only different thing." VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (OCTOBER 22, 2020) (ANI-NO USE INDIA) PEOPLE AT GANGA RIVER BANK VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN BUSY STREET WOMEN WALKING VARIOUS OF HEAVILY CROWDED MARKET AREA (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) VARANASI RESIDENT, ABDULLAH SAIKH, SAYING: "The coronavirus pandemic persists…if you look at the pandemic situation from media's perspective, it seems the coronavirus exists, but if you look at the (crowded) markets then it seems that everything is normal, there is no virus and the situation is fine." GORAKHPUR, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (OCTOBER 22, 2020) (ANI-NO USE INDIA) TRAFFIC VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN BUSY STREET VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS IN BUS (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) GORAKHPUR RESIDENT, GOLDIE SAIKH, SAYING: "People are thinking that the coronavirus pandemic is over...they are not wearing masks, there is no social distancing…you can see here, very few people are wearing masks…only one-or-two people are wearing it. If we ask someone to wear masks, they say, 'there is nothing, there is no coronavirus'. But those who are losing their relatives to the infection understand the seriousness of the disease." CHANDIGARH, INDIA (OCTOBER 22, 2020) (ANI-NO USE INDIA) VARIOUS OF CROWD OUTSIDE GURUDWARA, SIKH SHRINE PEOPLE WALKING IN QUEUE (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) CHANDIGARH RESIDENT, BALVINDER SINGH, SAYING: "If the devouts want to visit the shrines or temples, they should take precautions. They should sanitize their hands properly, wear masks, and maintain social distancing." PEOPLE STANDING TO UNDERGO COVID-19 TEST VARIOUS OF HEALTH WORKER COLLECTING NASAL SWAB OF PEOPLE FOR COVID-19 TESTING VARIOUS OF HEALTH WORKER NOTING DETAILS OF MAN HEALTH WORKER COLLECTING SWAB OF MAN PEOPLE ON TWO-WHEELERS
- Embargoed: 5th November 2020 13:19
- Keywords: Chandigarh Gorakhpur India Kolkata Uttar Pradesh Varanasi West Bengal coronavirus crowd health lockdown market medicine testing
- Location: KOLKATA, WEST BENGAL/VARANASI, GORAKHPUR, UTTAR PRADESH/ CHANDIGARH, INDIA
- City: KOLKATA, WEST BENGAL/VARANASI, GORAKHPUR, UTTAR PRADESH/ CHANDIGARH, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001D17MCLR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Indian state of West Bengal reported its biggest daily tally of new COVID-19 infections as thousands of people thronged the streets for a major Hindu festival that began last week.
West Bengal's health ministry reported 4,069 new COVID-19 cases late on Wednesday (October 21) taking its tally to 3,29,057.
During the nine-day festival of Durga Puja, Hindus worship the Goddess Durga and visit a series of neighbourhoods to see large idols put up in big tents and other makeshift structures.
India has seen a sharp drop in infections since a September peak, but experts have warned it could see resurgence during Durga Puja this week, and Diwali, the festival of light, in mid-November.
The High Court in West Bengal, a state in eastern India, has issued orders to restrict the entry of worshippers into tents and makeshift structures, but that has not deterred people from turning out in large numbers.
India's coronavirus infections rose by 55,839, taking its tally to 7.71 million, health ministry data showed on Thursday (October 22). Virus deaths in the south Asian nation rose by 702 in the last 24 hours, taking the toll to 116,616, the ministry added. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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