Hyderabad: Telangana government on Friday announced that Sunday Funday festivities at Tank Bund and Charminar remain cancelled until there is clarity on the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Special chief secretary, Municipal Administration, and Urban Development (MAUD), Arvind Kumar on Friday eliminated uncertainty over the weekend festivities in the city.
“Until some clarity emerges on #Omicron, the Sunday-Funday #TankBund & “Ek Shaam Charminar ke naam” prog are put on hold and shall not take place this Sunday,” he tweeted.
Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) urged authorities in August this year to make Tank Bund, located on the banks of the Hussain Sagar, traffic-free on Sunday nights. The decision was made in response to various public proposals to make Tank-band a citizen-friendly place. The event was launched on August 29 and attracted hundreds of people every week. Arts and crafts, as well as music, were eventually incorporated.
Omicron Scare
The government on Friday said 25 cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus have been detected in India so far and that mostly mild symptoms have been noted in all the cases.
Clinically, Omicron is not posing a burden on the healthcare system yet, but the vigil has to be maintained, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
At a joint press briefing on the pandemic, the government said 25 cases of the Omicron variant have been reported in India — 10 in Maharashtra, nine in Rajasthan, three in Gujarat, two in Karnataka, and one in Delhi.
“Mainly mild symptoms have been seen in the cases of Omicron variant detected so far,” Health Ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal said.