3rd Wave “Imminent”: warns IMA, tells states that pilgrimage, tourism can wait

India’s top doctors’ body, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday cautioned the central and state governments that the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic was inevitable and imminent. It appealed to the Central and state governments to not let the guard down on the Covid front warning that a third wave was just around the corner. It expressed pain over complacency shown by authorities and the public in various parts of India at this crucial juncture.

The doctors’ association said that “tourist bonanza, pilgrimage travel, religious fervour” can wait as the entire population should follow Covid protocols for at least three more months. It warned that India had only recently walked out of the disastrous second wave, thanks to considerable efforts of the modern medical fraternity and political leadership. “But the past experience of last one and half years with the virus and based on the emerging evidences it is obvious with making the universal vaccination reach maximum possible population and strictly adopting to Covid appropriate behaviours we can face the third wave with confidence and mitigate its impact,” the association said. The IMA appealed to all the states to control mass gatherings. India recorded 37,154 new Coronavirus infections and 724 fresh fatalities in a span of 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday morning.