More Kolkata clubs call off New Year parties amid Covid case surge – Times of India

Kolkata News

KOLKATA: A day after Tolly Club, RCGC and Calcutta Swimming Club cancelled their New Year celebrations, more social clubs in the city called off their year-end parties on Thursday, given the spiralling Covid cases and the spread of the Omicron variant.
“We are keeping the year-end celebration on hold in view of the rising Covid cases,” said Calcutta Club CEO Somnath Mukherjee. Echoing him, Bengal Club president Ambarish Dasgupta said, “This morning, we decided not to have any 31st event this year. On Friday, it will be a usual club day at Bengal Club.”
CCFC on Thursday issued a notice: “We regret to inform you that the club committee has decided to call off tomorrow’s event… we understand the disappointment of the members and the financial impact of this cancellation but it would have been too high a risk to expose our members, their families and our staff to such a large gathering… members who have already collected passes will be refunded.” Members of all clubs were looking forward to the year-end bash, but even Saturday Club announced, “Due to the rise in the Covid and Omicron cases in the past few days, the club has taken a deliberate and conscious decision … to cancel the New Year’s Eve party on 31st December 2021.” Some committee members of both these clubs argued in favour of their open-air 31st events, pointing at their sprawling grounds, but a majority vetoed against the plea. A CCFC office-bearer said, “It’s so sad the Covid situation had to be grave just when everything seemed congenial to ushering in the New Year like we did in pre-pandemic times.”
Lake Club, too, cancelled. Subrata Guha, general secretary, Lake Club, said, “We are putting off the New Year bash because people’s safety comes first.”
But Calcutta Rowing Club is going ahead with their event. Club secretary Chandan Roychoudhury said, “Ours will be an extremely low-footfall event in the open grounds and Covid rules will be followed to the hilt.”
Restrictions might be continued even after the 31st. Calcutta Swimming Club is not sure whether they would hold the sports events lined up in January or not. Naresh Goyal, president, CSC, also a doctor attached to Belle Vue Clinic, said, “It’s clear there’s a renewed surge of Covid cases.”

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/more-clubs-call-off-new-year-parties-amid-covid-case-surge/articleshow/88602067.cms