Kerala: Experts seek 5,000 cap on Sabarimala pilgrims

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An expert team of doctors, who conducted a study on averting the acceleration of Covid-19 cases during Sabarimala pilgrimage, has suggested that the devotees should be restricted to a maximum of 5,000 for the entire 42-day season starting November.
The experts say Covid-19 spread was controlled during haj pilgrimage as they had cut down the number of devotees considerably.They have warned a huge spread if uncontrolled entry through virtual queue system is allowed.
The expert team headed by Dr K Rajashekaran Nayar, professor, global institute of public health, has said if the pilgrimage season is conducted unrestricted, disease importation can happen via pilgrims originating from states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
“We recommend a highly restricted event by reducing the number of pilgrims to 5,000 over the 42-day period and fully complying with Covid-19 mitigation principles while respecting the religious sentiments surrounding the event. This recommendation is based on the existing World Health Organization guidelines on mass gathering in general and based on the criteria used during the restricted Haj 2020,” said Nayar.
The expert committee comprised Shahul H Ebrahim, University of Sciences, Bamako; Shaffi Fazaludeen Koya, research analyst, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA; Arathi P Rao, coordinator of Global Health and Humanitarian Medicine course, South Asia, Prasanna School of Public Health, among others. The expert committee will be submitting its recommendations to the state government.
The haj mass gathering normally accommodates over 3.5 million pilgrims but was restricted to 1,000 this year. The Haj 2020 implemented pre and post-event testing and quarantine, supervised transportation, and monitoring of mitigation by health authorities, said the report.
Acceleration of Covid-19 transmission through religious gatherings in Malaysia and India stands as a warning. No doubt, relevant modifications to the Sabarimala pilgrimage will help Kerala sustain its course with its legacy of Covid-19 mitigation, avoid further case seeding in other Indian states, and assure Covid-19-free pilgrimage experience,” it said.
“At present there are no restrictions for the people who are coming for short visits to the state. With the same guidelines we cannot go for the pilgrimage season. We welcome the Kerala state government’s decisions to make the virtual queue system into a mandatory requirement for this year’s pilgrimage and to restrict the number of pilgrims at Sannidhanam to 50 at a time. However, without a blanket restriction on number of pilgrims who can register through the queue system, even this may result in thousands of registered pilgrims getting stranded elsewhere on way to the temple. If held unrestricted, disease importation can happen,” said Dr Althaf Ali, associate professor in community medicine, who was also the member of the expert committee.