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South African Hindu community to raise Covid-19 awareness ahead of Diwali

Worried about a possible second wave of coronavirus, the Hindu community in South Africa is raising awareness among people on what should do during the coming Diwali celebrations

Firecrackers, firecracker ban, Diwali

Press Trust of India Johannesburg

Worried about a possible second wave of coronavirus, the Hindu community in South Africa is raising awareness among people on what should do during the coming Diwali celebrations to make the festival safe.

The South African Hindu Maha Sabha (SAHMS) is engaging a range of experts on the issues during a webinar on October 31.

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As we prepare for Diwali, the threat of a second wave of Covid-19 infections is looming, and there is a worrying growth of pandemic fatigue," said SAHMS President Ashwin Trikamjee.

There is a dangerous surge of COVID-19 infections in the US and Europe. A similar trend is likely in other parts of the world, including South Africa, said SAHMS President Ashwin Trikamjee.

 

The World Health Organisation has warned about pandemic fatigue'. After months of restrictions and lockdowns, psychologists are suggesting that people are longing for social contact and interaction," Trikamjee said.

South Africa's leading expert on the COVID-19 pandemic and the head of the government's advisory panel on the matter, Prof Salim Abdool-Karim, will join Hindu academics Prof Karthy Govender, Prof Nalini Moodley and Pandit Lokesh Maharaj in the discussion, which will focus on COVID-19 compliance and celebrating responsibly with mutual respect for tolerance, cultural rights and responsible use of fireworks.

South Africa's COVID-19 tally stands at 715,868 cases. The country has reported 18,968 deaths due to the coronavirus.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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First Published: Oct 26 2020 | 7:57 PM IST

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