Sunday-Funday at Tank Bund cancelled again amid Omicron concerns

Hyderabad: Amid concerns about Omicron, the Telangana municipal administration and urban development (MAUD) department has canceled the weekly Sunday-Funday event for 12 December.

"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," tweeted Arvind Kumar, the special chief secretary, MAUD.

Last Sunday, too, the department had cancelled the function at Tank Bund.

Since 5 September, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has made massive arrangements for traffic-free Sundays.

India has so far reported 26 Omicron cases in five states but all with mild symptoms, the health ministry said on Friday. Of the 26 Omicron cases, nine are in Rajasthan, three in Gujarat, 11 in Maharashtra, two in Karnataka, and one in Delhi.

ICMR chief Balram Bhargava, meanwhile, advised caution against the new variant and said that although Omicron hasn't yet posed a high threat to public healthcare we still need to be vigilant. "We are trying to grow Omicron in a laboratory. Once that's done, we will be able to test the efficacy of vaccines," he added.