Diwali during a pandemic: What should you know?

With the festival of lights approaching, people are preparing to celebrate keeping up with pandemic imposed restrictions. Decorating and lighting up homes and streets, having and distributing sweets and food, traveling and partying with family, kith and kin, and shopping for crackers, dresses and food items are with restrictions.

The five-day celebration of Diwali under current Covid circumstances is a potential threat to public health. Limitations have been imposed on public gathering and events keeping in mind public safety. People are advised to stay at home, celebrate safely and avoid unnecessary travel.

Diwali centric trade, especially of crackers, face severe backlash. People postponed painting their homes which were part of the celebration to minimalise interaction rendering painters without work. Street vendors are having a hard time unable to sell as they used to.

However, reports say that Delhi markets are crowded with Diwali shoppers who are not following Covid-19 protocol. According to The Print, Delhi has recorded more than 5000 daily positive cases from 28th October to 1st November. Delhi is also fighting rising air pollution with the pandemic.

Several states banned firecrackers this Diwali anticipating a worsening of the situation of those tested positive due to the polluted air. This decision to ban crackers might be exclusively for 2020 and reverted the next year owing to better circumstances.