The Government on Tuesday issued a fresh warning to the people not to invite the third wave of Covid-19 by flouting all social distancing norms and crowding at hill stations and tourist places even as Uttarakhand cancelled the Kanwar Yatra in view of the threat of the pandemic.

The Health Ministry said that people are talking about the third wave of the coronavirus as casually as a “weather update”, and the “gross violations” of Covid-appropriate behaviour that were being seen in several parts of the country can nullify the gains made so far in pandemic management.

A day after the Indian Medical Association (IMA) cautioned the Government and asked it not to allow tourism activities, pilgrimage and mass gatherings, the Centre decided to tread cautiously.

“The third wave won’t come on its own, but people will invite it,” the Government said, echoing the views of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who in a meeting, a few hours ago, with the Chief Ministers of Northeastern States stressed the importance of adhering to basic rules - wearing of face masks when in public, avoiding large gatherings, and ensuring vaccination - to prevent a third wave of the pandemic.

“Steps should be taken to prevent crowds... We all need to work together to stop the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added. The message was promptly followed by the Uttarakhand Government which decided to cancel the Kanwar Yatra this year, in view of the outbreak.

The Government’s warning came amid concerns that 55 districts in India have reported more than 10 per cent case positivity for the week ending July 13, while approximately 73.4 per cent of the new Covid-19 cases reported in July were from Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, a sign that the pandemic is not yet over in the country.