Gujarat Kankaria Carnival called off amid Omicron fear

Started in 2008, Kankaria Carnival is an annual week-long cultural festival organised in the last week of December. The festival includes art, dance and music performances, social awareness programmes, games and activities for children.

Gujarat: Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has decided to call off the Kankaria Carnival, celebrated every year in December, following fears over the spread of a new variant of Covid, Omicron.

Started in 2008, Kankaria Carnival is an annual week-long cultural festival organised in the last week of December. The festival includes art, dance and music performances, social awareness programmes, games and activities for children.

Much remains unknown about the new variant, which has been identified in more than 20 countries, including whether it is more contagious, whether it makes people more seriously ill, and whether it can thwart the vaccine.

The WHO has designated Omicron as a 'variant of concern'. It has warned the world that the global risk from this new variant is “very high” and early evidence suggests it could be more contagious. Nations across the globe are imposing travel restrictions and prepping up to counter the new challenge.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, said more would be known about the omicron strain in two to four weeks as scientists grow and test lab samples of the virus.