Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Aug 12: The Center has requested States to make sure there are no sizable gatherings for Independence Day festivities and that everyone abides by Covid rules as the nation continues to report an average of over 15,000 coronavirus cases daily.
The Union Home Ministry has also instructed all States and Union Territories to launch a “Swachh Bharat” campaign in a visible area of each district in their jurisdiction and to run a fortnightly or monthly campaign to maintain sanity through voluntary citizen action.
In a communication, the ministry said, “As a precaution, against COVID-19, large congregations in the ceremony be avoided. It is imperative that Covid guidelines are followed”.
According to data released on Friday by the Union Health Ministry, India added 16,561 new coronavirus cases, bringing the overall number of Covid cases to 4,42,23,557. At the same time, the number of active cases decreased to 1,23,535.
The data updated at 8 am showed that the death toll increased to 5,26,928 with 49 fatalities, including 10 deaths that Kerala reconciled.
The Home Ministry also requested that government agencies and educational institutions implement tree-planting campaigns to raise public awareness of environmental conservation.