Written By: Satata Karmakar | Published : January 23, 2023 12:06 PM IST
Republic Day 2023 COVID Guidelines: How To Keep Yourself Safe From Catching Coronavirus Infection?
India celebrates Republic Day on 26th January every year. The day is marked by flag-hoisting ceremonies and parades by armed forces and school children. Hundreds of people gather together to celebrate this day. However, in the last two and a half years, things have changed due to the outbreak of the highly infectious SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19 infection. According to the officials, From over 1 lakh seats at the Republic Day (RD) parade, this year the authorities have decided to reduce the seats to 45,000. There has also been a massive cut in the invitations allotted to Very Important Persons (VIP) and officials for the ceremony.
The new and revised guidelines come as China, the United States, and South Korea battle a massive winter COVID surge, primarily triggered by various sub-variants of the highly mutated Omicron strain.
Explaining how the ceremony will be conducted, Rajesh Ranjan, Joint Secretary (Ceremonial) in the Defence Ministry said this year all the invitations for the R-Day are online and there has been a "substantial change" in the seating arrangement by the Kartavya Path, where a 120-member Egyptian Armed Forces contingent will march.
There have been many speculations about a possible fifth wave of COVID-19 in India, after cases triggered in China and the United States. However, experts have said that there is no need to panic at the moment as the country has survived the worst already. But, this doesn't mean that the countrymen are immune and will not contract the virus. Even though India has successfully administered COVID vaccines to all its citizens, most of them have also received the booster doses, it is important that proper safety measures are being taken when stepping out of the houses, especially in mass gatherings like the R-Day ceremony. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
A properly fitted, and clean N-95 mask is important when stepping out of the house. Mask should not be of any other material, especially wearing a fancy silk mask which doesn't provide any protection against the COVID-19 virus.
We all know by now that maintaining proper distance is important when trying to stay safe from catching the COVID virus. Especially in areas where mass gatherings or more than 10 people are sitting in close proximity, it is important that one keep a distance of 1m to reduce the risk of catching the virus from any other individual.
Keeping your hands clean during the COVID times is very important when trying to stay safe from the virus infection. Always carry a good quality hand sanitizer with you when stepping out of the house.
