For the third consecutive day, India witnessed the highest single-day spike of new Covid-19 cases after reporting over 1.31 lakh cases on Friday.
Ten states including Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan have shown a steep rise in daily COVID-19 cases accounting for 83.29 per cent of the new infections.
With the number of COVID-19 cases on the rise, a sudden surge in passenger movement at railway stations was reported from across the country. Many travellers, speaking to the media, said the fear of an imminent lockdown was the reason behind their trips.
Meanwhile, the railways on Friday said there is no plan to curtail or stop train services and assured passengers that trains will be provided on demand amidst reports of migrant workers rushing to their hometowns, reminiscent of the days following the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.
The Railway Board chairman also ruled out the need for a COVID-negative certificate to travel by train.
Railway Board Chairman Suneet Sharma assured the passengers that there is no dearth of trains and the railways are ready to put them into service on short notice.
"There is no plan to curtail or stop train services. We will run as many services as required. There is no cause for alarm. We can run trains immediately on demand if there is any rush. This rush is normal during the summer season and we have already announced trains to clear the rush," he said at a press briefing.
(With inputs from agencies)
