Crowds at hill stations without masks a cause of concern: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday once again expressed concern over crowds at hill stations and violations of Covid-19 protocols at markets.

PM Modi said the sight of large crowds of tourists at hill stations - many of whom were without masks, and no social distancing - is "cause for concern".

The Prime Minister made the remarks during a virtual interaction with the chief ministers of the northeastern states over the Covid-19 situation ahead of a potential third wave of the pandemic.

"It is true that tourism, business and business have been greatly affected due to coronavirus, but today I will say very emphatically that it is not okay to have huge crowds in hill stations, markets without wearing masks," the Prime Minister said.

The northeastern states have witnessed a recent spike in Covid-19 cases. The central government had rushed multi-disciplinary expert teams to six states earlier this month, four of which were from the northeastern region -- Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura.

The PM said that instead of asking when will the third wave of Covid come, everyone should follow guidelines to prevent it.

Popular hill stations have seen massive crowds and blatant flouting of Covid norms recently thousands thronged the tourist spots after lifting of Covid curbs.

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