The coming 10 weeks punctuated by festivals will put to test forecasts that Covid-19 in India is unlikely to flare up again into a fresh nationwide wave and the effectiveness of vaccines against severe disease and deaths, experts have said. Union health ministry officials have outlined multiple options, including shopping online, celebrating festivals online, and avoiding travel to native places during festivals, to keep themselves safe and help avert any Covid-19 surges. India’s daily new Covid-19 infections -- that rose to a peak of over 97,000 in mid-September last year and to over 414,000 in early May -- now average about 20,000. But 56 districts across the country, including Calcutta, still have large infections and officials say the risk of fresh localised surges persists. Even if the infection counts increase, the researcher said, the vaccines should keep the counts of severe disease and deaths in check.

Source: The Telegraph October 11, 2021 21:45 UTC