[Global Issue+] Hindu 'Holi' Festival That Turned India into a COVID-19 Chaos

Daily Confirmed Cases Exceed 340,000...Record High Broken Again
Festivals and Local Elections Overlap...Large-Scale Gatherings Nationwide

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The COVID-19 situation in India, where the world's first triple-mutant virus was discovered, is becoming increasingly severe. India's daily confirmed cases have surpassed 340,000, continuously setting new record highs. Just last month, India was in an atmosphere of COVID-19 containment, but the current surge is causing great concern among global health authorities.

Particularly, attention is growing on the Hinduism's largest annual festival, the Holi Festival, which has been identified as a cause of this massive outbreak. The Holi Festival, where people spray each other with water guns mixed with colored powder to drive away evil spirits, is being criticized for turning India, which was close to declaring the end of COVID-19, into a chaotic COVID-19 hotspot.

India Approaching 350,000 Daily Cases...Healthcare System Completely Collapsed

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to foreign media such as the BBC, on the 24th (local time), the Indian Ministry of Health announced that the daily confirmed COVID-19 cases in India reached 346,786, breaking the previous record once again. With over 300,000 cases reported for three consecutive days, the entire country has fallen into utter chaos. On the same day, the number of COVID-19 deaths also hit a record high of 2,624. Indian medical experts estimate that the actual death toll could be 5 to 10 times higher than the government's official figures.

India's healthcare system has completely collapsed, with shortages of ICU beds, medicines, and oxygen ventilators reported nationwide. On the 23rd, a hospital in Delhi experienced a seven-hour delay in oxygen supply, resulting in the simultaneous deaths of 20 patients. As state governments began implementing lockdown measures independently, breaking away from central government control, the supply of medical resources was blocked, plunging the country into chaos.

Until last month, the Indian government was considering declaring the end of COVID-19 due to a calming trend, but this month, the worst surge suddenly occurred, causing the healthcare system to collapse rapidly. India's COVID-19 spread, which had surged to over 100,000 daily cases in September last year, had decreased to under 10,000 cases since February, leading to a significant easing of quarantine measures.

However, after the month-long Holi Festival, the largest Hindu festival, held since last month, a massive nationwide surge began.

10 Million Gathered Without Masks...Post-Festival Resurgence Intensifies

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The Holi Festival in India originally symbolized harmony and peace as a spring festival since ancient times. According to the BBC, the Holi Festival is known as a celebration where people of all ages participate, throwing water balloons or spraying water guns mixed with colored powder, reconciling even enemies. Officially, it lasts for two days at the end of March, but in India, the festival period often extends for over a month starting from early March. It is also called India's carnival.

Every year, the Holi Festival attracts such large crowds that various incidents and accidents are frequent. During the festival, there have been reports of drinks or snacks laced with drugs being distributed, as well as numerous reports of sexual harassment and assault, all due to the massive crowds gathering across India. This year’s festival reportedly saw participation from at least 10 million people nationwide.

Especially as the COVID-19 spread had significantly decreased, Indian health authorities did not strictly enforce preventive measures such as mask-wearing during this festival. Many people gathered closely without masks, spraying water guns at each other, which led to a rapid spread of COVID-19. Indian health authorities confirmed thousands of cases emerging from festival sites since the end of last month and urged citizens to refrain from gatherings, but it was insufficient to stop people exhausted from long lockdowns.

Additionally, the festival period coincided with local elections in India. India holds the world's longest local elections, lasting over a month. Unlike the U.S., which uses indirect elections, India conducts direct elections, and due to its large population and numerous constituencies, the elections cannot be completed in just a day or two. The current local elections have been ongoing since the end of March. The overlap with the festival made it easier to hold large rallies, and political parties competed to hold gatherings, which has been criticized for significantly contributing to the resurgence of COVID-19 alongside the festival.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.