Covid surge puts Surajkund mela on hold

An official spokesperson said the state government had taken the decision following the spread of the new variant of Omicron in the country. The announcement of the new date of the fair will be decided later.

The surge in Covid cases has led to the postponement of the 35th edition of the Surajkund International Crafts Mela scheduled to be held between February 4 and 20 this year, a report in the Tribune Chandigarh, says. 

It was suspended on the same grounds last year too . 

An official spokesperson said the state government had taken the decision following the spread of the new variant of Omicron in the country. The announcement of the new date of the fair will be decided later.

Speculation about suspension of the event had been going on for some time in the wake of the surge in the number of fresh cases..

The district has been on the list of the cities where partial lockdown conditions have already been enforced which allows markets and shops to remain open till 5 pm only and the presence in the restaurants and hotels cut to 50 per cent.

In a meeting held here on Friday, January 7, the district administration announced that while the Republic Day function would also be organised under the Covid protocol, the decision regarding the hosting of cultural programmes would depend on the conditions prevailing at the time. 

“If the condition deteriorates, the number of people attending the function can be curtailed,” said a senior official. 

Earlier, Rajesh Joon, Divisional Manager, Haryana Tourism, said 80 per cent of the preparations had been done and any move depends on the decision of the state government. 

The district reported 580 fresh cases on Friday, which is the highest in the past eight months. With the number of active cases rising to 1,648, 52 containment zones have been announced. 

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